title: Differentiation to a neuronal phenotype in bovine chromaffin cells is repressed by protein kinase C and is not dependent on c-fos oncoproteins.
abstract: We investigated the intracellular signals underlying the neurotrophic response of adult bovine chromaffin cells to histamine and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). Histamine produced significant neurite outgrowth within 48 hr, whereas the response to bFGF developed after 1 week. H7, a protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor potentiated both the histamine and the bFGF responses, while another PKC antagonist, staurosporine, induced a rapid and efficient differentiation response when applied alone. These observations suggest that basal PKC activity is required for stabilization of the endocrine phenotype in these cells. They contrast with findings on NGF induction of neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells where PKC promotes differentiation, apparently by activating the fos/jun complex. Thus, we examined the role of c-fos in our model. Both histamine and bFGF induced c-fos gene expression transiently. To determine whether increased levels of c-fos oncoprotein were essential to the differentiation process, we used a hybrid arrest approach employing an innovative transfection technique applicable to primary culture systems. Transfection with plasmid pSVsof, producing antisense c-fos mRNA, reduced c-fos oncoprotein levels but did not diminish histamine-induced neurite outgrowth. We infer that histamine-induced differentiation in bovine chromaffin cells is independent of increased levels of c-fos oncoprotein.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropharmacology, Max-Planck-Institut für Psychiatrie, Planegg-Martinsried, West Germany.
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Demeneix
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kley
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Loeffler
mesh_terms: D000313:Adrenal Medulla / Q000166:cytology* / Q000254:growth & development; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors / Q000502:physiology; D006632:Histamine / Q000502:physiology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology*; D010641:Phenotype; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000502:physiology*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors; D006632:Histamine; D011493:Protein Kinase C; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate