Differential Ras-dependence of gene induction by nerve growth factor and second messenger analogs in PC12 cells

The histone deacetylase inhibitor trichostatin A induces neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells via the epigenetically regulated expression of the nur77 gene

Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors induce histone acetylation and gene expression by changing local chromatin structures. They can thereby influence various cells to proliferate or differentiate. It has been reported that trichostatin A (TSA) or valproic acid (VPA) can induce the neuronal differentiation of mouse embryonic neural stem cells and rat cerebellar granule cells. It is unclear however which gene is responsible for the neuronal differentiation induced by HDAC inhibitors. In this study, we investigated the contribution of immediate early gene (IEG) nur77 to the neuronal differentiation induced by TSA. We report that TSA induces neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells, and C646, an inhibitor of HAT (histone acetyl transferase) (p300), prevents TSA-induced neurite formation. The acetylation of the Lys14 residue of histone H3, and mRNA and protein expression of nur77 gene were found to be stimulated after treatment with TSA, but not in the presence of C646. A knock-down of nur77 inhibits the neurite outgrowth induced by TSA. Furthermore, the ectopic expression of nur77 significantly elicits neurite formation in PC12 cells. These results suggest that the expression of nur77, which is up-regulated via the TSA-induced acetylation of Lys14 on histone H3, is essential for the neuronal differentiation in TSA-induced PC12 cells.

Dibutyryl-cAMP up-regulates nur77 expression via histone modification during neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells

An elevated level of cyclic AMP (cAMP) within cells activates gene expression through the cAMP-PKA-CREB pathway. Among the CREB target genes, some immediate early genes exist that are responsive to cAMP including the nur77 and c-fos genes. Treatment with dibutyryl-cAMP (dbcAMP) as well as nerve growth factor (NGF) induces neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells. Here, we report that acetylation of histone H3 was gradually stimulated after treatment with dbcAMP in PC12 cells and peaked 1 h after treatment. As the result of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) experiments, both nur77 and c-fos gene expression were found to have peak 1 h after treatment. Knock-down with siRNA against nur77 mRNA inhibited the neurite outgrowth induced by dbcAMP, whereas knock-down with siRNA against c-fos mRNA did not inhibit the dbcAMP-induced neurite outgrowth. A chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay revealed that the nur77 gene was associated with the acetylated Lys14 of histone H3 after treatment with dbcAMP. However, the amount of c-fos gene associated with acetylated histone H3 was not changed after treatment with dbcAMP. These results suggest that the expression of nur77, which is essential for the neuronal differentiation induced by dbcAMP, is up-regulated via dbcAMP-induced acetylation of the Lys14 of histone H3 in PC12 cells.

Sustained activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase by nerve growth factor regulates c-fos protein stabilization and transactivation in PC12 cells

The duration of intracellular signaling is thought to be a critical component in effecting specific biological responses. This paradigm is demonstrated by growth factor activation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling cascade in the rat pheochromocytoma cell line (PC12 cells). In this model, sustained ERK activation induced by nerve growth factor (NGF) results in differentiation, whereas transient ERK activation induced by epidermal growth factor (EGF) results in proliferation in these cells. Recently, the immediate early gene product c-fos has been proposed to be a sensor for ERK signaling duration in fibroblasts. In this study, we ask whether this is true for NGF and EGF stimulation of PC12 cells. We show that NGF, but not EGF, can regulate both c-fos stability and activation in an ERK-dependent manner in PC12 cells. This is achieved through ERK-dependent phosphorylation of c-fos. Interestingly, distinct sites regulate enhanced stability and transactivation of c-fos. Phosphorylation of Thr325 and Thr331 are required for maximal NGF-dependent transactivation of c-fos. In addition, a consensus ERK binding site (DEF domain) is also required for c-fos transactivation. However, stability is controlled by ERK-dependent phosphorylation of Ser374, while phosphorylation of Ser362 can induce conformational changes in protein structure. We also provide evidence that sustained ERK activation is required for proper post-translational regulation of c-fos following NGF treatment of PC12 cells. Because these ERK-dependent phosphorylations are required for proper c-fos function, and occur sequentially, we propose that c-fos is a sensor for ERK signaling duration in the neuronal-like cell line PC12.

Nuclear translocation of p90Rsk and phosphorylation of CREB is induced by ionomycin in a Ras-independent manner in PC12 cells

In the present study we examined the possible role of p90Rsk in pathways leading to neuronal differentiation of PC12 cells induced by nerve growth factor (NGF) and the calcium ionophore ionomycin. PC12-M17 cells, expressing a dominant inhibitory Ras protein, do not undergo neuronal differentiation in response to NGF like wild-type PC12 cells, but exhibit neurite outgrowth when treated with NGF in combination with ionomycin. However, the blockade of Ras in these cells results in failure of activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/extracellular signal regulation kinase (ERK) (MEK) and ERK activation as well, therefore kinases other than those of the ERK pathway might play a role in the induction of neuronal differentiation in this case. Here we show that p90Rsk translocates to the nucleus in response to ionomycin in both wild-type PC12 and PC12-M17 cells, and this spatial distribution is followed by increased phosphorylation of the cAMP response element binding protein (CREB). Since CREB is believed to be the transcription factor that can integrate Ca2+, growth factor and cAMP-induced signals, we suggest that p90Rsk may be one of the kinases which is able to replace ERKs under certain circumstances, thereby participating in Ras-independent neuronal differentiation induced by NGF plus ionomycin.

Nerve growth factor in combination with second messenger analogues causes neuronal differentiation of PC12 cells expressing a dominant inhibitory Ras protein without inducing activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases

In the present work, nerve growth factor (NGF) was used in combination with the calcium ionophore, ionomycin or dibutyryl cyclic AMP (dbcAMP), to study the connection between neuronal differentiation and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation of PC12 rat pheochromocytoma cells expressing a dominant negative, Ha-Ras Asn17 protein. Due to the block of endogenous Ras activity, neurite outgrowth in response to NGF is completely inhibited in these cells. However, this blockade can be bypassed by combined treatment with NGF plus ionomycin or NGF plus dbcAMP. The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) /ERK kinase inhibitor, PD98059, proved to be insufficient in inhibiting the neurite outgrowth under these conditions. Moreover, although both long-term ERK activation and nuclear translocation of ERKs are believed to be key events in neuronal differentiation, neither detectable ERK phosphorylation, nor nuclear translocation of these enzymes, occurred upon combination treatments in our experimental system. However, the neuritogenesis induced by either the combination of NGF/ionomycin or NGF/dbcAMP was inhibited by the Trk inhibitor, K252a. Ras-independent pathways, originating from the NGF receptor, can thus synergize with second messenger analogues bypassing the ERK cascade but leading to the same biological result--neurite formation.