PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Baydyuk, Maryna
AU  - Xie, Yuxiang
AU  - Tessarollo, Lino
AU  - Xu, Baoji
TI  - Midbrain-Derived Neurotrophins Support Survival of Immature Striatal Projection Neurons
AID  - 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3687-12.2013
DP  - 2013 Feb 20
TA  - The Journal of Neuroscience
PG  - 3363--3369
VI  - 33
IP  - 8
4099  - http://www.jneurosci.org/content/33/8/3363.short
4100  - http://www.jneurosci.org/content/33/8/3363.full
SO  - J. Neurosci.2013 Feb 20; 33
AB  - Neuronal death occurs at several stages during embryogenesis and early postnatal development; however, it is unknown how the survival of immature neurons at their origin is regulated before these cells migrate to their final destination. Striatal projection neurons, known as medium-sized spiny neurons (MSNs), in both the direct and indirect pathways are generated in the lateral ganglionic eminence (LGE). Here we report that brain-derived neurotrophic factor and neurotrophin-3 are anterogradely transported from midbrain dopaminergic neurons and support the survival of immature MSNs of the indirect and direct pathways, respectively, in the developing mouse striatum and LGE. These results reveal a novel mode of neurotrophic action in the nervous system by linking neurotrophins to the survival of immature neurons at their origin, while also suggesting that innervating neurons may control the size of their targeting neuronal population in the brain.