Serum and thyroid hormones T3 and T4 regulate nerve growth factor mRNA levels in mouse L cells

FEBS Lett. 1985 Sep 9;189(1):37-41. doi: 10.1016/0014-5793(85)80837-1.

Abstract

Mouse L cells synthesize and secrete a neurotrophic factor related to the beta subunit of the submaxillary gland nerve growth factor (NGF) of male mice. Use of a cDNA probe which encodes the beta-NGF mRNA demonstrated that L cells produce a transcript identical in size to that of the submaxillary gland. Moreover, target sites of restriction enzymes EcoRI, PstI and BamHI were not significantly rearranged in the beta-NGF gene locus of these cells. The abundance of the beta-NGF transcript was found to depend on culture conditions. Removal of serum depressed the cellular content of polyadenylated RNA by a factor of 1.7, and decreased specifically the pool of beta-NGF transcript by an additional factor of 4. The presence of 10(-7) M testosterone in the serum-free medium did not modify the level of beta-NGF mRNA, while addition of 10(-7) M T3 (or T4) increased this level by a factor of 1.5. These data provide the first evidence that the beta-NGF mRNA of L cells is subjected to regulation, but in a way apparently different from that described for the submaxillary gland.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Blood*
  • DNA / analysis
  • Fibroblasts / drug effects
  • Fibroblasts / metabolism
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Nerve Growth Factors / genetics*
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism*
  • Testosterone / pharmacology
  • Thyroxine / pharmacology*
  • Transcription, Genetic
  • Triiodothyronine / pharmacology*

Substances

  • Nerve Growth Factors
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Triiodothyronine
  • Testosterone
  • DNA
  • Thyroxine