PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - B Pettmann
AU  - M Manthorpe
AU  - JA Powell
AU  - S Varon
TI  - Biological activities of nerve growth factor bound to nitrocellulose paper by Western blotting
AID  - 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.08-10-03624.1988
DP  - 1988 Oct 01
TA  - The Journal of Neuroscience
PG  - 3624--3632
VI  - 8
IP  - 10
4099  - http://www.jneurosci.org/content/8/10/3624.short
4100  - http://www.jneurosci.org/content/8/10/3624.full
SO  - J. Neurosci.1988 Oct 01; 8
AB  - We have previously developed a cell-blot technique to visualize directly in tissue extracts molecules that display the biological activity of ciliary neuronotrophic factors (CNTFs). This technique involves SDS-PAGE of the tissue extract, Western blotting on nitrocellulose paper, neuronal cell culture on the paper, and, using a vital dye, visualization of the neurons that selectively survive on the trophic factor band. In this report, we show that (1) NGF, either purified or in a crude extract from submaxillary glands, can also be successfully recognized using a slightly modified cell-blot technique; (2) a variety of ganglionic neurons can respond to distinct nitrocellulose-anchored trophic factors; (3) while CNTF and NGF can both support the survival of their common target cells, only NGF also promotes neuritic extension; and (4) both the dimeric and the monomeric forms of immobilized beta-NGF are active.