title: A differential role of extracellular signal-regulated kinase in stimulated PC12 pheochromocytoma cell movement.
abstract: Rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells have been widely used as a cell system for study of growth factor-stimulated cell functions. We report here that nerve growth factor (NGF) stimulated both chemotaxis (directional migration) and chemokinesis (random migration) of PC12 cells. Treatment with a MEK1/2-specific inhibitor (PD98059) or expression of a dominant negative variant of Ras differentially inhibited NGF-stimulated chemotaxis but not chemokinesis of PC12 cells. Priming of PC12 cells with NGF resulted in reduced extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation and loss of chemotactic, but not chemokinetic, response. In addition, NGF stimulation of ERK is known to involve an early transient phase of activation followed by a late sustained phase of activation; in contrast, epidermal growth factor (EGF) elicits only early transient ERK activation. We observed that like NGF, EGF also stimulated both chemotaxis and chemokinesis, and treatment with PD98059 abolished the EGF-stimulated chemotaxis. Therefore, the early transient phase of ERK activation functioned in signaling chemotaxis; the late sustained phase of ERK activation did not seem to have an essential role. In addition, our results suggested that chemotactic signaling required a threshold level of ERK activation; at below threshold level of ERK activation, chemotaxis would not occur.
authors.affiliation: Transplantation and Immunobiology Group, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 5K8, Canada.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Uniyal
authors.forename: S O
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Meakin
authors.forename: V L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Chan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D002633:Chemotaxis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000494:pharmacology; D015151:Immunoblotting; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016501:Neurites / Q000378:metabolism; D016716:PC12 Cells; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011233:Precipitin Tests; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D005419:Flavonoids; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; C093973:2-(2-amino-3-methoxyphenyl)-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one