Selective de Nouo Synthesis of Tyrosine Hydroxylase in Organ Cultures of Rat Superior Cervical Ganglia after in Viuo Administration of Nerve Growth Factor

Tyrosine hydroxylase is synthesized de nouo in rat superior cervical ganglia in organ culture. The differential rate of synthesis is not increased significantly by the addition of nerve growth factor to the culture. Prior administration of nerve growth factor in vim. however, leads to an augmented synthesis of tyrosine hydroxylase in ganglia subsequently cultured in vitro. The differential rate of tyrosine hydroxylase synthesis was increased by a factor of between 3 and 4. Increases in the differential rate of synthesis were detected within 6 h; the rate reached a maximum 24 to 36 h after a single injection of nerve growth factor. Administration of actinomycin D or of newe growth factor antibody in vim prevented the nerve growth factor-induced increase in the differential rate of tyrosine hydroxylase synthesis in vitro. However, the increase in the synthetic rate of tyrosine hydroxylase was not prevented by the addition of actinomycin D to the culture.