Nerve growth factor-induced changes in neural cell adhesion molecule (N-CAM) in PC12 cells.
The effects of nerve growth factor (NGF) on the expression of neural cell adhesion molecule (N-CAM) in PC12 cells were determined. A quantitative immunoassay was used to show that NGF induces a 4- to 5-fold increase in relative N-CAM levels over a 3-day period. This increase could not be mimicked by cholera toxin suggesting that it is not a simple consequence of morphological differentiation. The changes in N-CAM levels induced by NGF were accompanied by changes in N-CAM molecular forms. The 140-kd N-CAM species is the major N-CAM expressed by naive PC12 cells, while NGF-treated cultures express N-CAM species of 180 kd and 140 kd. Northern analysis showed that naive cells express a 6.7-kd N-CAM mRNA species only, while NGF-treated cultures express both a 6.7-kb and a 7.2-kb transcript. As the 6.7-kb and 7.2-kb mRNAs are alternative spliced transcripts of a single gene, this result shows that NGF can activate a neuron-specific splicing mechanism. This is the first description of control of N-CAM expression by a growth factor.
Prentice
H M
HM
Department of Neurochemistry, Institute of Neurology, London, UK.
Moore
S E
SE
Dickson
J G
JG
Doherty
P
P
Walsh
F S
FS
D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D002460:Cell Line; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D007700:Kinetics; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010673:Pheochromocytoma / Q000276:immunology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics
D000954:Antigens, Surface; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D012333:RNA, Messenger