title: A lead-associated nuclear protein which increases in maturing brain and in differentiating neuroblastoma 2A cells exposed to cyclic AMP-elevating agents.
abstract: The lead-associated nuclear protein, p32/6.3, increases significantly in the postnatally developing rat cerebral cortex (Egle and Shelton, J. Biol. Chem., 261 (1986) 2294-2298). In the present study, this increase has been identified with late development of the cerebral cortex or forebrain because p32/6.3 reached adult levels 10 to 14 days after birth in guinea pig (a precocial animal) and after hatching in chicken. Comparison with other developmental processes indicates that p32/6.3 reaches adult levels just before or during the period of synapse maturation. Thus p32/6.3 may prove useful as a biochemical indicator of nuclear maturation in this period. The developmental regulation of p32/6.3 was further studied in mouse neuroblastoma 2a (Nb2a) cells. In vitro induction of differentiation of Nb2a cells by serum withdrawal from the culture medium increased p32/6.3, implicating p32/6.3 with differentiating neurons. This association was further strengthened when treatment of the Nb2a cells for 24 h with dibutyryl cAMP (1-5 mM), papaverine (5-12.5 micrograms/ml) or 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX; 50-250 microM) increased the abundance of p32/6.3 1.5- to 3-fold more than serum withdrawal alone. 8-Bromo-cAMP (2-4 mM), N6-benzoyl cAMP (4 mM) and forskolin (10 microM) also increased the abundance of p32/6.3 in Nb2a cells, arguing that cAMP is involved in p32/6.3 regulation. These results, in conjunction with the postnatal increase of p32/6.3 in cerebral cortex, suggest a relationship between p32/6.3 levels and neuronal maturation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond 23298-0614.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Klann
authors.forename: K R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Shelton
mesh_terms: D015056:1-Methyl-3-isobutylxanthine / Q000494:pharmacology; D015124:8-Bromo Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D003994:Bucladesine / Q000494:pharmacology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002642:Chick Embryo; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D007854:Lead / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D015124:8-Bromo Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate; D007854:Lead; C050086:N(6)-benzoyl-cyclic AMP; D003994:Bucladesine; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D015056:1-Methyl-3-isobutylxanthine