The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAP kinase) is a key participant in growth factor-stimulated intracellular events such as proliferation and differentiation. We and others have previously described a cross-talk between the MAP kinase pathway and the cAMP pathway. Indeed, in several cell lines and, in particular in fibroblasts, an increase in the level of cAMP produced an inhibition of MAP ...

The neuroblastoma-like cell line N2A and the pheochromocytoma-like cell line PC12 excrete about 20-25% of the intracellular fluorescent Ca2+ indicator fura-2 during 10 min of incubation at 37 degrees C. The drug probenecid, known to inhibit membrane systems for the transport of organic anions [Cunningham, Israili & Dayton (1981) Clin. Pharmacol. 6, 135-151], inhibited fura-2 excretion in both c...

A 57 kDa protein is the major polypeptide in intermediate filament (IF)-enriched cytoskeletal preparations obtained from the neuronal cell line PC12 (rat pheochromocytoma). Under the conditions used to assemble IF in vitro from other cultured cell lines, 10 nm filaments are formed after 2 cycles of disassembly-assembly from PC12 IF-enriched cytoskeletal preparations; the 57 kDa protein is the m...

The natural product resveratrol possesses diverse biological activities, including anti‑inflammatory, anti‑oxidant, anti‑cancer and anti‑aging effects in multiple organisms. The neuroprotective role of resveratrol has recently been reported in a cell model of amyloid (A)β(25‑35)‑induced neurotoxic injury using PC12 cells. However, the pathomechanism by which resveratrol inhibits neuronal apopto...

Antrodia camphorata (A. camphorata) is a rare medicinal fungus with antioxidative, vasorelaxtative, anti-inflammatory and anti-hepatitive effects. However, the neuroprotective effect has not been studied. By using serum deprivation-induced apoptosis in neuronal-like PC12 cells as a cell stress model, we found that A. camphorata is effective in preventing serum-deprived apoptosis. Inhibitors of ...

We have studied the role of vinculin in regulating integrin-dependent neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells, a neuronal cell line. Vinculin is a cytoskeletal protein believed to mediate interactions between integrins and the actin cytoskeleton. In differentiated PC12 cells, the cell body, the neurite, and the growth cone contain vinculin. Within the growth cone, both the proximal region of "consolida...

Members of a neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunit gene cluster ordered b4, a3, a5 in the vertebrate genome are expressed in highly restricted patterns in the PNS and CNS. Nothing is known, however, about the regulatory elements that control transcription of these genes in selected neuronal cell populations. We report here a novel enhancer, designated b439, that is positioned in the...

We have expressed in neuroendocrine PC12 cells the polymeric immunoglobulin receptor (pIgR), which is normally targeted from the basolateral to the apical surface of epithelial cells. In the presence of nerve growth factor, PC12 cells extend neurites which contain synaptic vesicle-like structures and regulated secretory granules. By immunofluorescence microscopy, pIgR, like the synaptic vesicle...

Complexes containing glycoproteins and glycosaminoglycans were released into the culture medium by both smooth and skeletal muscle cells. The particles, termed adherons, from three smooth muscle cell lines promoted cell-substratum adhesion of a clonal sympathetic nerve cell line, PC12. In contrast, the glycoprotein complexes from three skeletal muscle preparations inhibited the adhesion of PC12...

It has been reported that carnosine provide protection against various neurotoxic insults. In the previous study, we demonstrated that high dose morphine can induce apoptosis in PC12 cells possibly by the mitochondrial pathway through higher expression of Bax pro-apoptotic protein. The present study was designed to investigate the protective effect of carnosine on morphineinduced apoptotic deat...