Cell-type-specific responses of RT4 neural cell lines to dibutyryl-cAMP: branch determination versus maturation

Journal Article · Sun Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1987 · Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.84.5.1309· OSTI ID:6577018

Droms, K; Sueoka, N

This report describes the induction of cell-type-specific maturation, by dibutyryl-cAMP and testololactone, of neuronal and glial properties in a family of cell lines derived from a rat peripheral neurotumor, RT4. This maturation allows further understanding of the process of determination because of the close lineage relationship between the cell types of the RT4 family. The RT4 family is characterized by the spontaneous conversion of one of the cell types, RT4-AC (stem-cell type), to any of three derivative cell types, RT4-B, RT4-D, or RT4-E, with a frequency of about 10(-5). The RT4-AC cells express some properties characteristic of both neuronal and glial cells. Of these neural properties expressed by RT4-AC cells, only the neuronal properties are expressed by the RT4-B and RT4-E cells, and only the glial properties are expressed by the RT4-D cells. This in vitro cell-type conversion of RT4-AC to three derivative cell types is a branch point for the coordinate regulation of several properties and seems to resemble determination in vivo. In our standard culture conditions, several other neuronal and glial properties are not expressed by these cell types. However, addition of dibutyryl-cAMP induces expression of additional properties, in a cell-type-specific manner: formation of long cellular processes in the RT4-B8 and RT4-E5 cell lines and expression of high-affinity uptake of gamma-aminobutyric acid, by a glial-cell-specific mechanism, in the RT4-D6-2 cell line. These new properties are maximally expressed 2-3 days after addition of dibutyryl-cAMP.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States)
• OSTI ID: 6577018
• Journal Information: Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.; (United States), Vol. 5
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
AMP
BIOCHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
NERVE CELLS
BIOCHEMISTRY
AUTORADIOGRAPHY
LACTONES
TRITIUM COMPOUNDS
TUMOR CELLS
ANIMAL CELLS
CHEMISTRY
ESTERS
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
KINETICS
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
NUCLEOTIDES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
REACTION KINETICS
SOMATIC CELLS
550201* - Biochemistry- Tracer Techniques