The cholecystokinin gene is abundantly co-expressed with gastrin-releasing peptide, enkephalin and neuropeptide Y genes in a clonal human neuroepithelioma cell line.

The cholinergic human neuroepithelioma cell line SK-N-MCIXC expressed mRNAs for the neuropeptides cholecystokinin (CCK), neuropeptide Y, gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) and enkephalin. The CCK transcript of about 800 nt was present at very high levels and CCK-like peptides immunoreactive to a C-terminal CCK octapeptide antiserum were present in the cell line and its medium. This clonal neuronal cell line provides a unique model system to identify cis- and trans-acting factors responsible for neuron-specific expression and regulation of the CCK gene. Furthermore, the pluripotent properties of the undifferentiated cell line may open studies on neuronal differentiation at the level of co-expression of neuropeptides and transmitters.