Beaman-Hall CM, Vallano ML. Distinct mode of microtubule-associated protein 2 expression in the neuroblastoma/glioma cell line 108CC15/NG108-15.
JOURNAL OF NEUROBIOLOGY 1993;
24:1500-16. [PMID:
7506750 DOI:
10.1002/neu.480241105]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
The properties of microtubule-associated protein-2 (MAP-2) expression were examined in a transformed cell line, and compared to neurons from rodent brain where evidence supports both transcriptional and nontranscriptional regulation of MAP-2 synthesis. A monoclonal antibody that recognizes a common epitope in the adult (HMW MAP-2) and juvenile (MAP-2c) forms was used in an immunoblotting assay to assess the protein levels in actively dividing and differentiated neuroblastoma/glioma (108CC15, also designated NG108-15) cells. Multiply-phosphorylated MAP-2c was the predominant form in actively dividing cells, whereas HMW MAP-2 predominated in differentiated cells, which exhibited several other neuronal-like properties. A progressive increase in the levels of immunoreactive HMW MAP-2 was observed with increasing days of cell differentiation using dBcAMP as the inducing agent. However, the absolute levels of both HMW MAP-2 and MAP-2c in NG108-15 cells were significantly lower (at least 10-fold) than levels measured in rodent brain. To assess whether there are correspondingly lower levels of HMW MAP-2 and MAP-2c mRNAs in NG108-15 cells, relative to rodent brain, a highly sensitive RNA amplification assay (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction; RT-PCR) was developed. Oligonucleotide primers were designed to specify either HMW MAP-2 mRNA or MAP-2c mRNA, and whole tissue RNA extracted from adult and neonatal rodent brain was used to verify the reliability of the RT-PCR assay. Accordingly, PCR products of the predicted size, specificity, and abundance were obtained, with similar levels of HMW MAP-2 mRNA and proportionately higher levels of MAP-2c mRNA in neonatal brain, relative to adult brain. MAP-2c mRNA was the predominant transcript in actively dividing NG108-15 cells, and the amount of HMW MAP-2 mRNA gradually increased and became the predominant transcript in cells exposed to dBcAMP for 6-9 days. Thus, the observed changes in MAP-2-specific mRNAs during differentiation paralleled changes in expressed protein, suggesting that MAP-2 synthesis in NG108-15 cells is transcriptionally controlled. However, the levels of both MAP-2 mRNAs in NG108-15 cells were comparable to levels in rodent brain, despite the fact that MAP-2 protein levels are at least 10-fold lower in NG108-15 cells. These data suggest that the low levels of HMW MAP-2 and MAP-2c protein expression in NG108-15 cells are not due to correspondingly lower levels of MAP-2 mRNAs, and that transformed neuronal cell lines demonstrate a unique mode of MAP-2 regulation.
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