Chromaffin cells as models of endocrine cells and neurons.
Chromaffin cells have many functional similarities to amine- and peptide-producing endocrine cells throughout the body and to both peripheral and central neurons. The hypothesis of a shared, neural origin for chromaffin cells and most other endocrine cells is not tenable. However, chromaffin cells and their neoplastic counterparts, known as pheochromocytomas, are valuable models for studies of endocrine and neural properties. In this session, PC12 rat pheochromocytoma cells are used in two novel applications: to identify profiles of gene expression that may mediate cell death in neurodegenerative disorders and to study mechanisms for transduction of hypoxic signals. Recently described pheochromocytoma cell lines from neurofibromatosis knockout mice are shown to be novel models for signaling by the receptor tyrosine kinase ret, and purified enterochromaffin-like (ECL) cells are shown to offer new opportunities to study the shared and distinctive aspects of neuroendocrine function using a normal cell type.
Tischler
Arthur S
AS
Department of Pathology, Tufts University School of Medicine and New England Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts 02111, USA. atischler@lifespan.org
D001078:APUD Cells; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D019439:Chromaffin Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D002864:Chromogranins / Q000378:metabolism; D004475:Ectoderm / Q000166:cytology; D004703:Endocrine System / Q000166:cytology*; D006801:Humans; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D051379:Mice; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D009479:Neuropeptides; D016716:PC12 Cells; D051381:Rats; D050492:Vesicular Biogenic Amine Transport Proteins
D002864:Chromogranins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D009479:Neuropeptides; D050492:Vesicular Biogenic Amine Transport Proteins