title: Microtubule protein phosphorylation in neuroblastoma cells and neurite growth.
abstract: The development of highly asymmetrical neurones from undifferentiated neuroblasts involves the extension of processes (axon and dendrites), that depends on the assembly of an inner microtubule scaffolding. Clonal cell lines of neuronal origin, N2A and NIE-115 neuroblastoma cells, have been chosen as model systems to study the modifications of microtubule protein which accompany the outgrowth of axon-like processes (neurites). Neuroblastoma cells grow as proliferating and undifferentiated cells in standard culture medium but can be considered as committed neuronal precursors. Thus, they are characterized by a high content of tubulin, including the minor neuronal-specific beta 3 isoform, and of MAPs including MAP1B and tau-like proteins. Serum withdrawal from the culture medium results in the extension of axon-like processes which is paralleled by a net increase in the amount of assembled tubulin. However, there is not any increase in the total amount of either tubulin or major MAPs which suggests an involvement of other regulatory factors in the promotion of microtubule assembly. Of relevance in this respect is the fact that beta 3-tubulin, MAP1B, and tau-like proteins become phosphorylated during neurite extension. A casein kinase II-like enzyme may be involved in some of these phosphorylation events. This enzyme is primarily localized to the nuclei in undifferentiated neuroblastoma cells, whereas a wider distribution of the enzyme between the nucleus and the cytoplasm is found in differentiating neuroblastoma cells. It thus appears plausible that a modified sorting of casein kinase II into the nucleus and the cytoplasm may be involved in the triggering of the phosphorylation of microtubule proteins during neuroblastoma cell differentiation.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Biología Molecular, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Díaz-Nido
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Armas-Portela
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Correas
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Dominguez
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Montejo
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Avila
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D016501:Neurites / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; C085284:microtubule-associated protein 1B