title: Morphological and functional differentiation in BE(2)-M17 human neuroblastoma cells by treatment with Trans-retinoic acid.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Immortalized neuronal cell lines can be induced to differentiate into more mature neurons by adding specific compounds or growth factors to the culture medium. This property makes neuronal cell lines attractive as in vitro cell models to study neuronal functions and neurotoxicity. The clonal human neuroblastoma BE(2)-M17 cell line is known to differentiate into a more prominent neuronal cell type by treatment with trans-retinoic acid. However, there is a lack of information on the morphological and functional aspects of these differentiated cells.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We studied the effects of trans-retinoic acid treatment on (a) some differentiation marker proteins, (b) types of voltage-gated calcium (Ca2+) channels and (c) Ca2+-dependent neurotransmitter ([3H] glycine) release in cultured BE(2)-M17 cells. Cells treated with 10 μM trans-retinoic acid (RA) for 72 hrs exhibited marked changes in morphology to include neurite extensions; presence of P/Q, N and T-type voltage-gated Ca2+ channels; and expression of neuron specific enolase (NSE), synaptosomal-associated protein 25 (SNAP-25), nicotinic acetylcholine receptor α7 (nAChR-α7) and other neuronal markers. Moreover, retinoic acid treated cells had a significant increase in evoked Ca2+-dependent neurotransmitter release capacity. In toxicity studies of the toxic gas, phosgene (CG), that differentiation of M17 cells with RA was required to see the changes in intracellular free Ca2+ concentrations following exposure to CG.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Taken together, retinoic acid treated cells had improved morphological features as well as neuronal characteristics and functions; thus, these retinoic acid differentiated BE(2)-M17 cells may serve as a better neuronal model to study neurobiology and/or neurotoxicity.
authors.affiliation: Research Division, US Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense, 3100 Ricketts Point Road, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, 21010-5400, USA.
authors.forename: Devon
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Andres
authors.forename: Brian M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Keyser
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Petrali
authors.forename: Betty
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Benton
authors.forename: Kyle S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Hubbard
authors.forename: Patrick M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: McNutt
authors.forename: Radharaman
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ray
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000001:Calcimycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology; D020864:Calcium Channels, N-Type / Q000378:metabolism; D061207:Calcium Ionophores / Q000494:pharmacology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D048429:Cell Size / Q000187:drug effects*; D002619:Chemical Warfare Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D005998:Glycine / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000473:pathology; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000378:metabolism; D010705:Phosgene / Q000494:pharmacology; D011189:Potassium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000378:metabolism; D013569:Synapses / Q000187:drug effects; D016704:Synapsins / Q000378:metabolism; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014316:Tritium / Q000378:metabolism; D014404:Tubulin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000001:Calcimycin; D002118:Calcium; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D020864:Calcium Channels, N-Type; D061207:Calcium Ionophores; D002619:Chemical Warfare Agents; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase; D005998:Glycine; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; D010705:Phosgene; D011189:Potassium Chloride; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic; D016704:Synapsins; D014212:Tretinoin; D014316:Tritium; D014404:Tubulin; C498585:TUBB3 protein, human