title: Constitutive and cytokine-inducible expression of prion protein gene in human neural cell lines.
abstract: Prion diseases are a group of neurodegenerative disorders characterized by intracerebral accumulation of a protease-resistant prion protein (PrP(Sc)) that causes extensive neuronal degeneration and astrogliosis. The regulation of prion protein (PrP) gene expression by a panel of glial and neuronal cytokines (TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma, IL-1beta, IL-10, and TGF-beta1) was investigated in human neural cell lines by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Northern blot analysis. The constitutive expression of PrP mRNA was identified in all human neural cell lines and tissues examined including Y79 retinoblastoma, IMR-32 neuroblastoma, SK-N-SH neuroblastoma, U-373MG astrocytoma, KG-1-C glioma, NTera2 teratocarcinoma, NTera2-derived differentiated neurons (NTera2-N), peripheral nerve, and cerebral and cerebellar tissues. In SK-N-SH cells, a 48 hour (h) treatment with 100 ng/ml IL-1beta, 100 ng/ml TNF-alpha, or 100 nM phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate induced a 2.7- to 4.2-fold increase in the level of PrP mRNA, while the exposure to 100 ng/ml IFN-gamma resulted in a 50% decrease. By contrast, none of these cytokines significantly altered the levels of PrP mRNA in IMR-32, NTera2-N, or U-373MG cells. These results indicate that the PrP gene expression is constitutive in a wide range of human neural cell lines and tissues where it is controlled by cell type-specific regulatory mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Saga Medical School, Nabeshima, Japan.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Satoh
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kurohara
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yukitake
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kuroda
mesh_terms: D001254:Astrocytoma; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms; D002460:Cell Line; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000378:metabolism; D016207:Cytokines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005134:Eye Neoplasms; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000494:pharmacology; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000494:pharmacology; D009447:Neuroblastoma; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011328:Prions / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D012175:Retinoblastoma; D018243:Teratocarcinoma; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000494:pharmacology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D007375:Interleukin-1; D011328:Prions; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016753:Interleukin-10; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate