SK-ER3 NEUROBLASTOMA-CELLS AS A MODEL FOR THE STUDY OF ESTROGEN INFLUENCE ON NEURAL CELLS

The neuroblastoma SK-ER3 cell line obtained by stable transfection of the human SK-N-BE cell line is proposed as a model for the study of es trogen receptor activity in cells of neural origin, In the SK-ER3 cell line the estrogen receptor, once activated, initiates a differentiati on program leading to growth arrest, morphological changes, and acquis ition of the dopaminergic phenotype, In the absence of estrogens, this program can be triggered by IGF-I, which can activate the unliganded estrogen receptor via the ras-pathway, It is proposed that this model system might recapitulate the events occurring in vivo during the diff erentiation of the nervous system and that IGF-I may play an important role in the activation of estrogen receptor at the very early stage o f brain development affecting the differentiation of a number of hypot halamic and extrahypothalamic brain regions. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Inc.