title: Cell density influences insulin-like growth factor I gene expression in a cell type-specific manner.
abstract: The effect of cellular density on insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) gene expression was characterized in several tumor-derived cell lines. IGF-I messenger RNA (mRNA) transcripts increased more than 200-fold when C6 glioma cells grew to postconfluence. IGF-I receptor and beta-actin mRNAs were induced by 6- and 2-fold, respectively, as a function of confluence. IGF-I mRNA transcripts in GH3 and SK-N-MC cells increased about 4- to 5-fold in confluent cultures compared with sparse cultures. In OVCAR-3 cells, the IGF-I mRNA level remained constant as the cell density increased. Transient transfection experiments were performed with IGF-I exon 1 promoter/luciferase fusion constructs in C6 cells. The luciferase activity of a construct containing exon 1 sequence between +75 and +282 (the most 5' transcription initiation site was designated +1) was stimulated by 2.5-fold in dense cultures compared with that in sparse cultures of C6 cells. Luciferase activities of other constructs containing at least 282 bp of exon 1 sequence were also stimulated about 2- to 4-fold by cell density. However, 3' deletion to +192 led to loss of the cell density stimulatory effect. In contrast, luciferase activities of IGF-I promoter constructs were not altered by cell density in SK-N-MC cells. When the conditioned medium of low density C6 cultures was exchanged with that of high density cultures, the IGF-I mRNA level remained the same. In summary, cell density has a cell type- and gene type-specific effect on IGF-I gene expression. A cell density response element(s) may be located between +192 and +282 of the exon 1 promoter region in C6 cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio 78229-3900, USA.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Adamo
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D002452:Cell Count; D005091:Exons / Q000235:genetics; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000235:genetics*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D020218:Response Elements / Q000235:genetics; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I