Ca2 +channel α1 ‐ 1‐Subunit transcripts are differentially expressed in rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells following nerve growth factor treatment

Abstract

In this report, we describe the effect of nerve growth factor (NGF) on the transcriptional expression of voltage‐dependent Ca2+ channel α1 subunits, i.e., α1A, α1B, α1C, α1D, and α1E in rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells. Using reverse transcriptase‐coupled polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) and class‐specific Ca2+ channel oligonucleotide probes, messenger RNA levels were measured and compared to Histone H3.3 transcript which remained relatively constant over the duration of NGF treatment. Although no statistically significant differences in P‐type (α1A) Ca2+ channel transcript levels were observed, N‐type (α1B) Ca2+ channel transcript levels increased 50% over control values (P values α1C and α1D) transcripts with α1C decreasing steadily to ∼50% of control (P value α1D decreased to ∼20% of control (P value α1E Ca2+ channel transcripts were detected in PC12 cells. For comparison, PC12 cells were also treated with another differentiative growth factor, i.e., basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and a nondifferentiative growth factor epidermal growth factor (EGF). In contrast to NGF, bFGF and EGF treatment had no inhibitory effect on L‐type (α1C and α1D) channel transcript levels after 3 days. Like NGF, EGF treatment had no statistically significant effect upon P‐type (α1A) transcript levels but increased in a biphasic manner following bFGF treatment. Presynaptic‐associated α1B (N‐type) Ca2+ channel transcripts were observed decreased following EGF treatment (2 days) while L‐type α1C transcripts decreased after 7 days (P value 2+ channel transcripts, while L‐type (α1C and α1D) Ca2+ channel transcripts appear to be down regulated.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Aug 01, 1998
Source ID
10.1016/s0736-5748(98)00036-7

Entities

People

  • James J. Valdes
  • James P. Chambers
  • James T. Colston

Organizations

  • United States Army
  • University of Texas at San Antonio

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Biology

Readers

  • Cardiovascular Physiology
  • Molecular Biology and Genetics
  • Molecular and genetic basis of cancer.