Verbeeck M A, Draaijer M, Burbach J P
Rudolf Magnus Institute, Medical Faculty, University of Utrecht, The Netherlands.
J Biol Chem. 1990 Oct 25;265(30):18087-90.
Regulation of co-expression of three neuropeptide genes, i.e. genes encoding enkephalin, cholecystokinin, and gastrin-releasing peptide, was studied in human neuroepithelioma cells. In nondifferentiated state, the continuous cell line SK-N-MC displayed an equally high level of expression of the enkephalin, cholecystokinin, and gastrin-releasing peptide genes. By culturing in medium containing endothelial cell growth supplement the SK-N-MC cells differentiated morphologically into a cell type with neurite-like processes. After 3 days the expression of the enkephalin gene in endothelial cell growth supplement-differentiated cells was significantly reduced by 75% as compared to the nondifferentiated cells, while there was no change in the expression of the cholecystokinin and gastrin-releasing peptide genes during differentiation. The results show that the enkephalin gene is selectively down-regulated during differentiation of neuroepithelioma cells. It is suggested that the down-regulation is related to the transient expression of the enkephalin gene in developing brain and other organs. Thus the neuroepithelioma cell line may provide a cellular model to study the underlying molecular mechanism.
在人神经上皮瘤细胞中研究了三种神经肽基因（即编码脑啡肽、胆囊收缩素和胃泌素释放肽的基因）共表达的调控情况。在未分化状态下，连续细胞系SK-N-MC显示出脑啡肽、胆囊收缩素和胃泌素释放肽基因的同等高水平表达。通过在含有内皮细胞生长补充剂的培养基中培养，SK-N-MC细胞在形态上分化为具有神经突样突起的细胞类型。3天后，与未分化细胞相比，在内皮细胞生长补充剂分化的细胞中脑啡肽基因的表达显著降低了75%，而在分化过程中胆囊收缩素和胃泌素释放肽基因的表达没有变化。结果表明，在神经上皮瘤细胞分化过程中脑啡肽基因被选择性下调。有人提出这种下调与脑啡肽基因在发育中的脑和其他器官中的瞬时表达有关。因此，神经上皮瘤细胞系可能提供一个细胞模型来研究潜在的分子机制。
