Wild-type rabies virus induces autophagy in human and mouse neuroblastoma cell lines

Different rabies virus (RABV) strains have their own biological characteristics, but little is known about their respective impact on autophagy. Therefore, we evaluated whether attenuated RABV HEP-Flury and wild-type RABV GD-SH-01 strains triggered autophagy. We found that GD-SH-01 infection significantly increased the number of autophagy-like vesicles, the accumulation of enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP)-LC3 fluorescence puncta and the conversion of LC3-I to LC3-II, while HEP-Flury was not able to induce this phenomenon. When evaluating autophagic flux, we found that GD-SH-01 infection triggers a complete autophagic response in the human neuroblastoma cell line (SK), while autophagosome fusion with lysosomes was inhibited in a mouse neuroblastoma cell line (NA). In these cells, GD-SH-01 led to apoptosis and mitochondrial dysfunction while triggering autophagy, and apoptosis could be decreased by enhancing autophagy. To further identify the virus constituent causing autophagy, 5 chimeric recombinant viruses carrying single genes of HEP-Flury instead of those of GD-SH-01 were rescued. While the HEP-Flury virus carrying the wild-type matrix protein (M) gene of RABV triggered LC3-I to LC3-II conversion in SK and NA cells, replacement of genes of nucleoprotein (N), phosphoprotein (P) and glycoprotein (G) produced only minor autophagy. But no one single structural protein of GD-SH-01 induced autophagy. Moreover, the AMPK signaling pathway was activated by GD-SH-01 in SK. Therefore, our data provide strong evidence that autophagy is induced by GD-SH-01 and can decrease apoptosis in vitro. Furthermore, the M gene of GD-SH-01 may cooperatively induce autophagy.     

Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors increase ADAM10 activity by promoting its trafficking in neuroblastoma cell lines

Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) are the only currently available drugs for treating Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Some authors have suggested a function of AChEIs not only in the induction of AChE overproduction and alternative splicing shifts but also a possible role of these drugs in amyloid metabolism beyond their well-known symptomatic effect. Here, we investigate the mechanisms of action of the AChEI donepezil on APP (amyloid precursor protein) metabolism and on the activity/trafficking of the alpha-secretase candidate ADAM 10, in differentiated human neuroblastoma cells (SH-SY5Y). In these cells, the activity of AChE is significantly decreased after 2 h of donepezil treatment. Further, SH-SY5Y cells released significantly more sAPPalpha into the medium, whereas total APP levels in cell lysates were unchanged. Interestingly, treated cells showed increased ADAM 10 levels in membrane compartments. This effect was prevented by pretreatment with tunicamycin or brefeldin, suggesting that donepezil affects trafficking and/or maturation of ADAM 10; additionally, this pretreatment significantly decreased sAPPalpha levels. Pre-incubation with atropine decreased release of sAPPalpha significantly but did not revert ADAM 10 activity to control levels further suggesting that donepezil acts not solely through a purely receptor mediated pathway. These findings indicate that donepezil exerts multiple mechanisms involving processing and trafficking of key proteins involved in AD pathogenesis.     

Neurotransmitter-synthesizing enzymes in 14 human neuroblastoma cell lines

Fourteen human neuroblastoma cell lines were studied for expression and regulation of neurotransmitter-synthesizing enzymes. All cell lines contained enzyme activities of adrenergic and/or cholinergic neurons and 13 expressed activities for both. None contained enzymes for serotonergic or G AB Aergic neurons. Enzyme activity was characteristic for a given cell line. Enzyme activity in cell lines was sensitive to growth phase, culture medium, and concentration of fetal bovine serum.     

Hypoxia induces up-regulation of progranulin in neuroblastoma cell lines

Progranulin (PGRN) is a widely expressed multifunctional protein, involved in regulation of cell growth and cell cycle progression with a possible involvement in neurodegeneration. We looked for PGRN regulation in three different human neuroblastoma cell lines, following exposure to two different stimuli commonly associated to neurodegeneration: hypoxia and oxidative stress. For gene and protein expression analysis we carried out a quantitative RT-PCR and western blotting analysis. We show that PGRN is strongly up-regulated by hypoxia, through the mitogen-actived protein kinase (MAPK)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MEK) signaling cascade. PGRN is not up-regulated by H(2)O(2)-induced oxidative stress. These results suggest that PGRN in the brain could exert a protective role against hypoxic stress, one of principal risk factors involved in frontotemporal dementia pathogenesis.     

Hypoxia induces up-regulation of progranulin in neuroblastoma cell lines

Progranulin (PGRN) is a widely expressed multifunctional protein, involved in regulation of cell growth and cell cycle progression with a possible involvement in neurodegeneration. We looked for PGRN regulation in three different human neuroblastoma cell lines, following exposure to two different stimuli commonly associated to neurodegeneration: hypoxia and oxidative stress. For gene and protein expression analysis we carried out a quantitative RT-PCR and western blotting analysis. We show that PGRN is strongly up-regulated by hypoxia, through the mitogen-actived protein kinase (MAPK)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MEK) signaling cascade. PGRN is not up-regulated by H₂O₂-induced oxidative stress. These results suggest that PGRN in the brain could exert a protective role against hypoxic stress, one of principal risk factors involved in frontotemporal dementia pathogenesis.     

Human neuroblastoma cell lines having smooth muscle cell markers]

The neural crest gives rise to a variety of tissues, including peripheral neurons, Schwann cells, melanocytes and ectomesenchymal cells, which include the smooth muscle cells of large arteries. Cell lines derived from neuroblastoma (a neural crest tumor) have at least two distinct morphological cell types, a neuroblastic phenotype (N-type) and an epithelial-like phenotype (S-type) with characteristics of substrate-adhesiveness. We have analyzed 17 human neuroblastoma cell lines using a panel of monoclonal antibodies against cytoskeletal proteins. Three neuroblastoma cell lines (KP-N-SI, KP-N-YN and SMS-KCN) bound an alpha -smooth muscle actin antibody. In addition, one of these cell lines (KP-N-SI) bound anti-desmin monoclonal antibodies as determined by indirect immunofluorescence. A total of eight cloned cell lines were obtained from the above parent cell lines. These were composed of either N- or S-type cells and were confirmed to be the common neuroblastoma origin from each parent cell line by chromosomal analysis. Alpha-smooth muscle actin and desmin were demonstrated in the S-type cloned cells by indirect immunofluorescence, as well as by two-dimensional Western blot analysis. These results were confirmed by Northern blot analysis using a specific probe (pSH alpha SMA-3'UT) to human alpha-smooth muscle actin mRNA. This is the first report of the presence of alpha-smooth muscle actin and desmin in neuroblastoma cell lines. These data show that in addition to giving rise to cells with neural, Schwann cell and melanocyte markers, neuroblastoma can also give rise to the cells expressing smooth muscle cell markers.     

Purification,activity, and expression levels of two uridine-cytidine kinase isoforms in neuroblastoma cell lines

ABSTRACT

Uridine-cytidine kinase (UCK) catalyzes the phosphorylation of uridine, cytidine, and several pyrimidine ribonucleoside analogs. We overexpressed and purified the two known isoforms of human UCK in Escherichia coli, produced a specific antibody against UCK1 and characterized the kinetic properties of UCK1 and 2. The V_max of purified recombinant UCK2 was 22- and 8-fold higher with uridine and cytidine, respectively, compared to those observed for the purified recombinant UCK1 enzyme. The K_m of UCK1 was 39- and 40-fold higher with uridine and cytidine, respectively, compared to those observed for the purified recombinant UCK2 enzyme. The UCK1 antibody showed no cross reactivity against UCK2. Our data showed that UCK1 and 2 are both expressed in several neuroblastoma cell lines, including four MYCN single copy cell lines and five MYCN amplified cell lines, with the exception that UCK1 was not expressed in SJNB8. These results indicate that UCK2 in neuroblastoma might be used as a selective target for chemotherapy using UCK2-dependent pyrimidine analogues.     

Expression of HOX homeogenes in human neuroblastoma cell culture lines

Mammalian genes containing a class-I homeobox (HOX genes) are highly expressed in the embryonic nervous system. As a first step towards the molecular analysis of the role these genes play in neural cells, we studied the expression of four human HOX genes in five neuroblastoma (NB) cell lines - SK-N-BE, CHP-134, IMR-32, SK-N-SH and LAN-1 - during the process of differentiation induced by treatment with retinoic acid (RA). The four genes, HOX1D, 2F, 3E and 4B, located at corresponding positions in the four HOX loci, share a high degree of sequence similarity with the Drosophila Deformed homeotic gene and constitute a homology group, group 10. One of these genes, HOX1D, is not expressed in the cells used, whereas the other three are highly expressed in untreated and RA-induced NB cells, even though the expression pattern in the various lines is slightly different for the three genes. Our analysis reveals a complex and specific expression pattern in these lines, paving the way to an identification of different NB-cell populations by means of specific HOX gene expression schemes. On the other hand, in every line studied, morphological maturation toward a neuronal differentiated phenotype appears to be associated with increased HOX gene expression.     

Identification of a FXIIIA variant in human neuroblastoma cell lines

FXIII is a transglutaminase consisting of two catalytic (FXIIIA) and two non-catalytic subunits (FXIIIB) in plasma, where this enzyme is responsible for stabilizing fibrin clots. Although possible functions of intracellular FXIIIA have been proposed, these remain to be established. We show that a 40 kDa protein species of FXIIIA is present in the human neuroblastoma cell lines SH-SY5Y and LAN5. These data reveal the presence of a new uncharacterised variant of FXIIIA, possibly due to an alternative splicing, in nervous cells.     

Successful transmission of three mouse-adapted scrapie strains to murine neuroblastoma cell lines overexpressing wild-type mouse prion protein

Propagation of the agents responsible for transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) in cultured cells has been achieved for only a few cell lines. To establish efficient and versatile models for transmission, we developed neuroblastoma cell lines overexpressing type A mouse prion protein, MoPrP(C)-A, and then tested the susceptibility of the cells to several different mouse-adapted scrapie strains. The transfected cell clones expressed up to sixfold-higher levels of PrP(C) than the untransfected cells. Even after 30 passages, we were able to detect an abnormal proteinase K-resistant form of prion protein, PrP(Sc), in the agent-inoculated PrP-overexpressing cells, while no PrP(Sc) was detectable in the untransfected cells after 3 passages. Production of PrP(Sc) in these cells was also higher and more stable than that seen in scrapie-infected neuroblastoma cells (ScN2a). The transfected cells were susceptible to PrP(Sc)-A strains Chandler, 139A, and 22L but not to PrP(Sc)-B strains 87V and 22A. We further demonstrate the successful transmission of PrP(Sc) from infected cells to other uninfected cells. Our results corroborate the hypothesis that the successful transmission of agents ex vivo depends on both expression levels of host PrP(C) and the sequence of PrP(Sc). This new ex vivo transmission model will facilitate research into the mechanism of host-agent interactions, such as the species barrier and strain diversity, and provides a basis for the development of highly susceptible cell lines that could be used in diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to the TSEs.     

Phenotypic and molecular characterization of inducible human neuroblastoma cell lines

Two new neuroblastoma (NB) cell lines, NUB-6 and NUB-7, were established from recurrent and primary NB tumours respectively and identified conclusively as NB by their phenotypic characteristics, catecholamine production and N-myc amplification. The cell lines could be distinguished on the bases of distinctive growth patterns in monolayer culture and semi-solid media (collagen gel and agarose), neurite formation and their response to four classes of growth and differentiation modulators. The NUB-6 cell line consisted of two distinct cell subtypes, small typical neuroblasts and larger spheroid-forming cells, while NUB-7 was homogeneously neuroblastic. Class-I agents (dibutyrl cyclic AMP [dbcAMP], butyrate, and papaverine) inhibited growth of both cell lines, while only dbcAMP stimulated the formation of short neurites by NUB-6 neuroblast cells in monolayer culture and collagen. Of the class-II agents (vitamins), retinoic acid inhibited growth of both cell lines and stimulated formation of long neurites by NUB-6 cells and NUB-7 cells in later passages. In contrast, vitamin E inhibited growth of NUB-6 and late-passage NUB-7, but stimulated early passage NUB-7. The class III agent (nerve growth factor) resembled vitamin E. The class-IV agents (interferons; rIFN-alpha 2a and rIFN-gamma 1) inhibited growth of both cell lines in monolayer culture and agarose, but stimulated NUB-6 neuroblasts and early passage NUB-7 cells to form long neurites. Thus phenotypically distinct NB cell lines were established in vitro and shown to be differentially influenced by various growth and differentiation modulators. The potent effect of IFN suggests a role for these modulators in NB behaviour in vivo.     

A proteomic investigation into etoposide chemo-resistance of neuroblastoma cell lines

Neuroblastoma, one of the most common pediatric solid tumors, originates from the peripheral sympathetic nervous system and is responsible for approximately 15% of all childhood cancer deaths. Among the several antineoplastic drugs used in neuroblastoma chemotherapeutic protocols, topoisomerase inhibitors (i.e., etoposide) represent the most commonly used. Several resistance mechanisms limit the clinical success of topoisomerase-targeting drugs, mainly reducing the ability of neoplastic cells to start programmed cell death when exposed to antineoplastic drugs. The aim of this study was to determine, by means of proteomics, potential markers of etoposide resistance in human neuroblastoma cell lines as well as to investigate protein levels and modifications possibly involved in the onset of resistance. The etoposide resistant clone showed overexpression of the following proteins: peroxiredoxin 1, beta-galactoside soluble lectin binding protein, vimentin (three protein spots), heat shock 27 kDa protein (two protein spots) and heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein K. In addition, we also found down-regulation of dUTP pyrophosphatase. This investigation might represent a first step towards the development of novel prognostic markers of neuroblastoma chemotherapy.