Ontogeny of the nerve growth factor receptor in primary cultures of neural crest cells.

Neural crest cells maintained as primary cultures for 4-7 days demonstrated specific binding of radioiodinated nerve growth factor ([125I]NGF); occasionally, significant binding of ([125I]NGF could be detected in 3-day cultures. Parallel cultures processed for indirect immunofluorescence revealed that the NGF receptor-positive neural crest cells represented a subpopulation of the total cells in culture. Cultures aged 4-7 days demonstrated fluorescent cells which were often grouped as aggregates. Some 3-day cultures contained faintly fluorescent cells. One- and two-day cultures were non-fluorescent. Melanocytes did not appear to bind NGF. Preliminary flow cytofluorometric analysis indicated that ca. 28% of neural crest cells in 5-day cultures possessed specific receptors for NGF.