| Abstract: | The effects of several kinds of microbial extracellular glycolipids on neurite initiation in PC12 cells were examined. Addition
of mannosylerythritol lipid-A (MEL-A), MEL-B, and sophorose lipid (SL) to PC12 cells caused significant neurite outgrowth.
Other glycolipids, such as polyol lipid (PL), rhamnose lipid (RL), succinoyl trehalose lipid-A (STL-A) and STL-B caused no
neurite-initiation. MEL-A increased acetylcholine esterase (AChE) activity to an extent similar to nerve growth factor (NGF).
However, MEL-A induced one or two long neurites from the cell body, while NGF induced many neurites. In addition, MEL-A-induced
differentiation was transient, and after 48 h, percentage of cells with neurites started to decrease in contrast to neurons
induced by NGF, which occurred in a time-dependent manner. MEL-A could induce neurite outgrowth after treatment of PC12 cells
with an anti-NGF receptor antibody that obstructed NGF action. These results indicate that MEL-A and NGF induce differentiation
of PC12 cells through different mechanisms.
This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date. |
