The effects of retinoic acid-induced differentiation on neurotransmitter receptor content and signal transduction in a human neuroblastoma cell line

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to establish the effects of retinoic acidindttced differentiation on muscarinic receptor populations and signal transduction pathways in the human neurroblastoma Sk-N-SH cells. The human neuroblastoma cell line Sk-N-SH was induced to differentiate by treatment with 1 uM retinoic acid for 7 days. Differentiation was characterized by profuse neurite outgrowth, a decrease in cell growth, and a 2~3 fold increase in the protein content of each cell. Muscarinic receptors were labelled-using [3H]N-methyl scopolamine. Muscarinic receptor density increased by approximately 36% after treatment for 7 days with retinoic acid (Bmax, control = 126 ± 13 fmol/mgprotein; Bmax, retinoic acid-treated= 170 ± 17 fmol/mg protein; p<0.05), corresponding to a 170% increase in receptor content per cell. The affinity of [3H]NMS for the receptors was somewhat lower in the differentiated cells (KD, control = 0.14 ± 0.04 nM; KD, retinoic acid-treated = 0.25 ± 0.0.4 nM; p<0.05). The guanine nucleotide sensitivity of agonist (carbamylcholine) binding to Sk-N-SH muscarinic receptors Was slightly decreased by differentiation. Reverse transcriptase/polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis using muscarinic receptor subtype specific primers revealed that the undifferentiatied Sk-N-SH cells transcribed mRNA for all 5 receptor subtypes; this pattern was not affected by differentiation. [3H]NMS displacement curves with subtype- selective receptor ligands (pirenzepine, m1; AFDX-116, m2; 4-DAMP, m3) indicated the predominant expression of m1 and m3 receptor subtypes, and differentiation did not affect the pharmacological profile of the expressed muscarinic receptor populations. Differentiation did not affect basal G protein GTPase activity. However, acetylcholine (100 uM) stimulation of G protein GTPase activity was decreased in differentiated cells (18 ± 1.8 pmol/min/mgprotein) compared to the undifferentiatied cells (23 ± 1 .0 pmol/ min/ mg protein) (p<0.05). Inhibition of acetylcholine--stimulated GTPase activity with selective muscarinic receptor antagonists indicated that the m3 antagonist (4-DAMP) was as effective as atropine in inhibiting activity by 80-100%. Selective m1 and m2 antagonists were less effective (30-40%) at inhibiting stimulated GTPase activity. There were no differences in inhibition of stimulated GTPase activity after differentiation. Immunoblots of control and retinoic acid-treated cells revealed no change in Goa, Gsa or Gp content after differentiation; however, 0.1% ethanol and retinoic acid-treated cells displayed a 30% decrease in expression of Gia3, and Gqa. Muscarine (0.1-100 uM) stimulated 45Ca influx into Sk-N-SH cells, and this uptake was inhibited by preincubation with atropine. The magnitude of the muscarinic receptor-mediated uptake was 50-60% lower in the differentiatied cells. Basal adenylate cyclase activity was depressed in the differentiated cells (2.5 pmol / min / mg protein) compared to the undifferentiated cells (8.4 pmol / min / mg protein) (p< 0.05). Forskolin (5 - 50 uM)-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity was not altered, however fractional stimulation was significantly (p<0.0001) increased in the differentiated cells. Differentiated cells displayed a slightly greater receptor-mediated inhibition of the adenylate cyclase activity by carbamylcholine (1 uM- 1 mM). It is demonstrated that in Sk-N-SH cells, retinoic acid-induced differentiation: 1) increases the size of the muscarinic receptor population (Bmax) while decreasing [3H]NMS binding affinity, 2) does not alter muscarinic receptor pharmacology, or the expression of. muscarinic receptor subtypes, 3) decreases muscarinic receptor-stimulated 45Ca flux 50-60% compared to undifferentiated cells, 4) depresses basal adenylate cyclase activity, increases fractional stimulation of forskolin-stimulated activity of adenylate cyclase, and may increase muscarinic receptor-mediated inhibition of adenylate cyclase activity, 5) does not alter basal G protein GTPase activity but depresses muscarinic receptor-stimulated high affinity GTPase activity suggesting muscarinic receptor-G protein coupling is altered, and 6) does not alter expression of Goa, Gsa and Gp content while Gia3 and Gqa are depressed in differentiated as well as in 0.1% e.thanol treated cells.