Abstract
The generation of cell lines in the sympathoadrenal lineage has greatly facilitated our understanding of how precursor cells that do not respond to NGF give rise to mature NGF-dependent neurons. The neuronal developmental pathway in this lineage has been worked out by studying both primary precursor cells in culture and the
v-myc-immortalized MAH cell line. MAH cells were established by retroviral infection of immunoisolated rat sympathoadrenal precursor cells. These cells have many of the characteristics of primary progenitor cells including neural precursor morphology, antigenic profile, and response to growth factors. MAH cells are able to recapitulate sympathetic development, giving rise to mature, postmitotic, NGF-dependent neurons. These cells have provided a model system for studying the factors, receptors, and modulating influences that play a role in the development of sympathetic neurons.