Selective de novo synthesis of tyrosine hydroxylase in organ cultures of rat superior cervical ganglia after in vivo administration of nerve growth factor.

Tyrosine hydroxylase is synthesized de novo 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 vivo, 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 nerve growth factor antibody in vivo 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.