title: Secretogranin II: a key AP-1-regulated protein that mediates neuronal differentiation and protection from nitric oxide-induced apoptosis of neuroblastoma cells.
abstract: Identification of AP-1 target genes in apoptosis and differentiation has proved elusive. Secretogranin II (SgII) is a protein widely distributed in nervous and endocrine tissues, and abundant in neuroendocrine granules. We addressed whether SgII is regulated by AP-1, and if SgII is involved in neuronal differentiation or the cellular response to nitrosative stress. Nitric oxide (NO) upregulated sgII mRNA dependent on a cyclic AMP response element (CRE) in the sgII promoter, and NO stimulated SgII protein secretion in neuroblastoma cells. Upregulation of sgII mRNA, sgII CRE-driven gene expression and SgII protein synthesis/export were attenuated in cells transformed with dominant-negative c-Jun (TAM67), which became sensitized to NO-induced apoptosis and failed to undergo nerve growth factor-dependent neuronal differentiation. Stable transformation of TAM67 cells with sgII restored neuronal differentiation and resistance to NO. RNAi knockdown of sgII in cells expressing functional c-Jun abolished neuronal differentiation and rendered the cells sensitive to NO-induced apoptosis. Therefore, SgII represents a key AP-1-regulated protein that counteracts NO toxicity and mediates neuronal differentiation of neuroblastoma cells.
authors.affiliation: Cell Death and Human Disease Group, Division of Cancer and Developmental Cell Biology, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore, Republic of Singapore.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Hung
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Porter
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D002460:Cell Line; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D006801:Humans; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D053381:Secretogranin II / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; C506135:SCG2 protein, human; D053381:Secretogranin II; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1; D009569:Nitric Oxide