Neurotrophin receptors in the somatosensory cortex of the mature rat: co-localization of p75, trk, isoforms and c-neu.

Trk immunoreactivity is expressed by a discrete population of cortical neurons, primarily those with cell bodies in layer Vb and dendrites in supragranular cortex. We tested the hypothesis that neurons co-express multiple isoforms of trk receptors. The distribution of neurons expressing specific high affinity neurotrophin receptors was determined immunohistochemically. Multiple antibodies directed against each trk isoform and an antibody directed against an epitope shared by all three trk isoforms were used. The distribution of neurons expressing each of the three receptors was virtually identical. Each anti-trk antibody primarily labeled neurons with cell bodies in layer V. More than one-third of layer V neurons was positive for a high affinity trk receptor. Few immunoreactive somata (1%-5%) were in the other layers. In addition, the neuropil in the supragranular laminae was immunopositive for each trk isoform. Recent data show that layer V neurons in the mature somatosensory cortex express the tyrosine kinase receptor c-erbB2, also known as c-neu. Immunofluorescence double labeling shows that approximately 80% of the c-neu-immunolabeled neurons in layer V co-expressed pan-trk immunoreactivity and two-thirds of all c-neu-positive neurons expressed a specific trk isoform. We concluded from these data that there is significant co-expression of trk isoforms in layer V neurons. In summary, trkA, trkB, trkC, and c-neu were primarily expressed by cortical projection neurons in layer V and co-expression among these receptors was common. This implies that cortical growth factor systems are redundant and that cortical neurons are responsive to more than one growth factor.