title: Targeting and processing of pro-opiomelanocortin in neuronal cell lines.
abstract: Pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) is the precursor to several pituitary hormones including adrenocorticotropic hormone and beta-endorphin (beta-END). POMC is also expressed in the brain, predominantly in discrete neuronal cell populations of the hypothalamus. In the pituitary and brain, POMC undergoes tissue-specific proteolysis to release different bioactive peptides. POMC processing in neuronal cell lines was studied after infection of PC12 and Neuro2A cells with a recombinant retrovirus carrying the porcine POMC cDNA. Our results indicate that both cell lines synthesize and target POMC to the regulated secretory pathway. Only the Neuro2A cells, however, can achieve proteolytic processing of POMC. Chromatographic and immunological characterization of the POMC-related material showed that beta-lipotropin (beta-LPH) and nonacetylated beta-END(1-31) are major maturation products of POMC in these cells. Release of both beta-LPH and beta-END(1-31) from infected Neuro2A cells can be stimulated by secretagogues in a calcium-dependent manner. Taken together, our results suggest that the cellular machinery of Neuro2A cells can recognize a foreign prohormone, target it to neurosecretory vesicles, process it into biologically active peptides, and secrete it in a manner characteristic to peptidergic neurons.
authors.affiliation: Département de Biochimie, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Montréal, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Noël
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zollinger
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Laliberté
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rassart
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Crine
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Boileau
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis; D009474:Neurons / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D010455:Peptides / Q000378:metabolism; D011333:Pro-Opiomelanocortin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013268:Stimulation, Chemical; D001615:beta-Endorphin / Q000378:metabolism; D008083:beta-Lipotropin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D010455:Peptides; D001615:beta-Endorphin; D011333:Pro-Opiomelanocortin; D004247:DNA; D008083:beta-Lipotropin