title: Evidence for direct involvement of beta-catenin in phorbol ester-induced neurite outgrowth in GT1-1 hypothalamic neurones.
abstract: Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) is a pivotal neuroendocrine regulator controlling reproductive functions. However, the scattered distribution of GnRH neurones in the mammalian brain has hindered studies on the development and differentiation of GnRH neurones. In the present study, we used the immortalized GnRH-producing GT1-1 cells to examine whether activation of protein kinase C (PKC) pathway with 12-O-tetradecanoyl-13-acetate (TPA) induces morphological and functional differentiation of GnRH neurones. TPA induced neurite outgrowth and inhibited proliferation of GT1-1 cells that were specifically antagonized by cotreatment of PKC inhibitor, calphostin C. The functional significance of TPA-induced differentiation of GT1-1 cells was manifested in part by the changes in the effects of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) on intracellular Ca2+ levels. In untreated GT1-1 cells, activation of GABA-A receptor with 10 microM muscimol increased intracellular Ca2+ levels, whereas such stimulatory effects disappeared in GT1-1 cells bearing neurites. Accordingly, muscimol could not stimulate GnRH release in TPA-treated GT1-1 cells. To elucidate the molecular mechanism underlying TPA-induced neurite outgrowth, we performed differential display reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Among several genes that are affected by TPA treatment, we found a significant induction of beta-catenin mRNA expression. Along with the rapid induction of beta-catenin protein levels, we observed that beta-catenin was reallocated from cell-cell adhesion sites to the growth cones within 3 h of TPA treatment. Transient transfection studies with green fluorescent protein as a reporter gene demonstrated that beta-catenin overexpression alone can promote neurite outgrowth in GT1-1 cells. Moreover, TPA was found to increase the transcription-activational roles of beta-catenin. Together, these data provide evidence that beta-catenin is involved in the TPA-induced functional differentiation of immortalized GnRH neurones.
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Korea.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Choe
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002461:Cell Line, Transformed; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008164:Luminescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D009118:Muscimol / Q000494:pharmacology; D009281:Naphthalenes / Q000494:pharmacology; D016501:Neurites / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014162:Transfection; D051176:beta Catenin; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D009281:Naphthalenes; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A; D015534:Trans-Activators; D051176:beta Catenin; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D009118:Muscimol; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D011493:Protein Kinase C; C058819:calphostin C; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate; D002118:Calcium