Nerve growth factor inhibits the synthesis of a single-stranded DNA binding protein in pheochromocytoma cells (clone PC12)

Some flavonoids and DHEA-S prevent the cis-effect of expanded CTG repeats in a stable PC12 cell transformant

Expanded CUG triplet repeats carrying mRNA seem to be responsible for myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1). To study the pathogenesis of DM1, we constructed a DM1 cell culture model using a PC12 neuronal cell line and screened flavonoids that ameliorate this mRNA gain of function. The expanded 250 CTG repeat was subcloned into the 3'-untranslated region of the luciferase gene yielding a stable transformant of PC12 (CTG-250). The cytotoxicity of CTG-250 was evaluated by intracellular LDH activity, and the cis-effect by luciferase activity. To find agents that alter CTG-250 toxic effects, 235 bioflavonoids were screened. An increased cis-effect and cytotoxicity were found when CTG-250 was treated with nerve growth factor to induce differentiation. Western blotting with anti-caspase-3 antibody suggested that cell death was caused by apoptosis. Screening analysis confirmed that a flavone (toringin), an isoflavones (genistein and formononetin), a flavanone (isosakuranetin), and DHEA-S prevent both the cytotoxicity and cis-effect of CTG-250 and that a flavanone (naringenin), isoflavone (ononin), and xanthylatin strongly inhibit the cis-effect of CTG repeats. In conclusion, we found that this neuronal cell line, which expresses the CUG repeat-bearing mRNA, showed cis-effects through the reporter gene and neuronal death after cell differentiation in vitro. However, some flavonoids and DHEA-S inhibit both the cis-effect and cytotoxicity, indicating that their chemical structures work to ameliorate both these toxic effects. This system makes it easy to evaluate the toxic effects of expanded CTG repeats and therefore should be useful for screening other DM1 treatments for their efficacies.

Regulation of the differentiation of PC12 pheochromocytoma cells

The PC12 clone, developed from a pheochromocytoma tumor of the rat adrenal medulla, has become a premiere model for the study of neuronal differentiation. When treated in culture with nanomolar concentrations of nerve growth factor, PC12 cells stop dividing, elaborate processes, become electrically excitable, and will make synapses with appropriate muscle cells in culture. The changes induced by nerve growth factor lead to cells that, by any number of criteria, resemble mature sympathetic neurons. These changes are accompanied by a series of biochemical alterations occurring in the membrane, the cytoplasm, and the nucleus of the cell. Some of these events are independent of changes in transcription, while others clearly involve changes in gene expression. A number of the alterations seen in the cells involve increases or decreases in the phosphorylation of key cellular proteins. The information available thus far allows the construction of a hypothesis regarding the biochemical basis of PC12 differentiation.

The mode of action of nerve growth factor in PC12 cells

This review deals with the mechanism of nerve growth factor action. In view of the many and diversified effects of this growth factor, and since it could utilize different mechanism(s) in distinct types of cells, we have confined our analysis to the best characterized and more extensively studied target, the clonal cell line PC12. When exposed to NGF in vitro, these neoplastic cells recapitulate the last major steps of neuronal differentiation, i.e., the commitment to become a neuron and the acquisition of the neuronal phenotype. This is characterized by electrically excitable neurites, a display of a highly organized cytoskeleton, and the specific chemical and molecular neuronal properties. These effects are elicited upon the interaction of NGF with a receptor whose gene has been cloned and whose kinetic properties are now relatively well characterized. It is not yet clear, on the contrary, if and which of the several potential second messengers (cAMP, Ca, or phosphoinositides) that undergo marked fluctuations following NGF binding, transduce and amplify the NGF message. Among both the early and late effects of NGF is the modulation of expression of several genes. Some of the products of these genes are mainly restricted to nerve cells and others appear to play a crucial role in regulating the proper assembly of cytoskeletal elements. It is hypothesized that this complex array of chemical, molecular, and ultrastructural changes is triggered by NGF, not through activation of a single pathway, but more likely via combinatorial processes whereby several intracellular signals interplay before the irreversible commitment of becoming a neuron is undertaken.

Early changes in the synthesis of nuclear and cytoplasmic proteins are induced by nerve growth factor in differentiating rat PC12 cells

Differentiation of rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells into neuron-like cells was induced by nerve growth factor (NGF) and changes in the apparent rate of synthesis of cellular proteins were analyzed. Attention was particularly focused on the first few hours of exposure to NGF before significant neurite outgrowth was detectable. Cultures were pulse-labeled for 1-h periods with [35S]methionine and proteins were extracted from various subcellular fractions and analyzed by one-dimensional gradient and two-dimensional equilibrium and nonequilibrium gel electrophoresis. The results showed that although the general level of protein synthesis remained constant, by 8 h NGF increased the apparent rate of synthesis of approximately 11 cytoplasmic and 5 nuclear proteins. For several of these proteins, the effect was apparently NGF-specific, since no induction was observed in dibutyryl cAMP-treated cells. Of interest was the following observation: of the five nuclear proteins, NGF increased the synthesis of two proteins with MrS of 56,000 [doublet] and 50,000 D that were associated with a biochemically and morphologically defined nuclear matrix fraction. A cytoplasmic protein, with an Mr of 92,000 D (pI 4.8) appeared to be induced de novo by NGF. NGF also decreased the rate of synthesis of several cytoplasmic and nuclear proteins of low molecular mass (less than 40,000 D). Since only 1-h pulses of [35S]methionine were used, and since experiments with actinomycin D showed that most of these NGF-induced early changes in rates of synthesis included a transcription-dependent step, it seems likely that early effects of NGF include activation of specific genes.

Effect of nerve growth factor on glucose utilization and nucleotide content of pheochromocytoma cells (clone PC12)

The effect of nerve growth factor (NGF) on the utilization and fate of uniformly labeled 14C glucose and on the content of several pyridine and purine nucleotides has been tested in the clonal cell line PC12. After incubation for 72 h with NGF, PC12 cells exhibit a 2.7-fold increase in glucose utilization and a 4.7-fold increase in CO2 release. During the same incubation period, all the nucleotides tested (NAD+, AMP, GMP, UDP-glucose, UDP-galactose, UDP, ADP, GDP, UTP, CTP, ATP, and GTP) underwent significant increments, varying from a minimum of 27% for ADP to a maximum of 90-120% for AMP, GMP, UDP-glucose, and UDP-galactose. These findings are discussed in connection with the trophic and differentiative effects of NGF in PC12 cells, which, in the presence of this factor, shifted from a neoplastic to a neuronal-like cell population.