[Effects of dibutyryl cyclic AMP on the gene expression during the differentiation of retinoblastoma cells (Y 79) in culture].

Cultured human retinoblastoma cells (Y79) were induced to differentiate by dibutyryl cyclic AMP(Bt2cAMP). We examined the effects on the mRNA levels of several cellular genes when the induction of differentiation was monitored by observation of the cellular processes. Bt2cAMP(1mM) treatment produced significant extension of cellular process after 3 days. We examined the mRNA levels of N-myc gene(oncogene), Rb(anti-oncogene, retinoblastoma gene) and nucleolin (nucleolar protein) being linked with ribosome biosynthesis. The mRNA levels of all these genes decreased for 3 days after Bt2cAMP treatment. These results suggested the possibility that Y 79 cells were induced to differentiate by down-modulation of both N-myc gene expression and ribosome biosynthesis in the nucleolus following treatment of Bt2cAMP. Furthermore, the gene expression of the retinoblastoma gene is likely to be downregulated by this condition even if the product of mRNA is not functional.