title: Regulation of nerve growth factor gene expression in primary brain monolayer cultures: effects of dibutyryl cyclic AMP and sodium butyrate.
abstract: Primary brain cultures composed of a heterogeneous population of cells, most of which reacted with anti-fibronectin and only few with anti-GFAP antiserum, were found to synthesize a mRNA indistinguishable from mouse submandibular gland nerve growth factor (NGF) mRNA in hybridization characteristics and electrophoretic behavior in agarose gels. The levels of this mRNA were increased 2.5-10 fold by 1 mM dibutyryl cyclic AMP (db-cAMP) and sodium butyrate within 24 h, but not by 10 microM forskolin, and were unaffected by serum in the culture medium. These observations demonstrate that brain cells synthesize a NGF mRNA in primary culture and that the butyrate moiety of db-cAMP enhances NGF gene expression in these cells, probably by a modification of chromatin structure in and around the NGF gene.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Endocrinology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston 02114.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Quarless
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Heinrich
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D003994:Bucladesine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002087:Butyrates / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020148:Butyric Acid; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005353:Fibronectins / Q000032:analysis; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000032:analysis; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D002087:Butyrates; D005353:Fibronectins; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D020148:Butyric Acid; D003994:Bucladesine