title: Differentiation of Y79 cells induced by prolonged exposure to insulin.
abstract: Y79 human retinoblastoma cells are known to contain receptors for both insulin and insulin-like growth factors (IGFs), to produce these cytokines and release them in the culture medium. Previously we have demonstrated that IGFs and insulin stimulate Y79 cell proliferation through the involvement of type I IGF receptor and Insulin Receptor Substrate 1 (IRS-1). This paper studies the effect of prolonged exposure to insulin on Y79 cells. Cells grown for 10 days in the presence of insulin were reseeded and incubated once more with insulin. In the reseeded cells proliferation lowered and morphological changes appeared. After 10 days of reseeding, cells stopped proliferating and showed long ramifying neurite processes and varicosities consistent with neuronal differentiation. Morphological differentiation was accompanied by a marked increase in the content of total protein and in that of tubulin, the major protein constituent of microtubules, a marked increase in the content of specialized protein markers of dopaminergic and cholinergic differentiation (dopamine beta-hydroxylase and choline acetyltransferase activities, respectively); a contemporaneous decrease in the content of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), a specific marker of glial cells, was also observed. Our results demonstrate that prolonged exposure to insulin induces Y79 cells to differentiate into a neuronal-like phenotype. At this moment it is not possible to establish the mechanism by which insulin induces this differentiative effect.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biological Chemistry, University of Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vento
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Giuliano
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lauricella
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carabillò
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Main
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gerbino
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tesoriere
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects*; D002455:Cell Division; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism; D004247:DNA / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004299:Dopamine beta-Hydroxylase / Q000378:metabolism; D005134:Eye Neoplasms; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005914:Globins / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016501:Neurites / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D012175:Retinoblastoma; D013936:Thymidine / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D007328:Insulin; D005914:Globins; D004247:DNA; D004299:Dopamine beta-Hydroxylase; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase; D013936:Thymidine