Topography of beta NGF receptor-positive and AChE-reactive neurons in the central nervous system

Recent reports have led to widespread interest in the role of beta-nerve growth factor (beta NGF) in the central nervous system. To learn more about the action of beta NGF in the central nervous system we have mapped the distribution of beta NGF receptors and compared it with that of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), a sensitive enzyme marker for cholinergic neurons. In situ autoradiography revealed strong and saturable beta NGF binding to several groups of neurons in basal forebrain and brainstem. They also contain significant levels of mRNA coding for beta NGF receptors. beta NGF receptors and AChE are codistributed on the medial septal nuclei and in the basal forebrain, including the striatum. In the brainstem, beta NGF receptors are present on the neurons in the lower part of the reticular formation and in cochlear nuclei but do not correspond to the distribution of AChE reactivity.