Transient expression of NGF-receptor-like immunoreactivity in postnatal rat brain and spinal cord

The pattern of expression of nerve growth factor (NGF)-receptor-like immunoreactivity during postnatal development in rat central nervous system (CNS) was analyzed using immunohistochemical localization of the receptor. Interestingly, in addition to the expected staining in basal forebrain, several structures were strongly labelled only during specific postnatal developmental stages. These structures included fibers in the thalamus, the external granule cell layer of the cerebellum and motor neurons, indicating that specific neurotrophic mechanisms might play an important role for the labelled cells during a precisely defined period.