title: Retinoic acid induces cholinergic differentiation of cultured newborn rat sympathetic neurons.
abstract: Many studies provide evidence that retinoic acid (RA), an endogenous derivative of vitamin A, plays a role in the development of the nervous system. We now report that RA controls the neurotransmitter phenotype of post-mitotic rat sympathetic neurons in cell culture. RA added to the culture medium increased the specific activity of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and the level of acetylcholine (ACh). Concomitantly, RA reduced the specific activities of two catecholamine synthetic enzymes, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH) and the level of norepinephrine (NE). After a 2 week treatment with 5 microM RA, ChAT was increased by 5-10 fold, whereas TH and DBH were decreased by 10-15 fold and 2-3 fold, respectively, as compared to sympathetic neurons grown in the absence of RA. The modulation of the activity of the three enzymes was dose-dependent and followed a similar time course. The decrease of TH expression was demonstrated to be due to a decreased number of TH molecules.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Génétique Moléculaire de la Neurotransmission et des Processus Neurodégénératifs, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Gif sur Yvette, France.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Berrard
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Faucon Biguet
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Houhou
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lamouroux
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mallet
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000502:physiology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004299:Dopamine beta-Hydroxylase / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000187:drug effects; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000378:metabolism; D010275:Parasympathetic Nervous System / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D010641:Phenotype; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D014212:Tretinoin; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase; D004299:Dopamine beta-Hydroxylase; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase; D000109:Acetylcholine; D009638:Norepinephrine