COLLABORATIVE AND RECIPROCAL EFFECTS OF CILIARY NEUROTROPHIC FACTOR AND NERVE GROWTH-FACTOR ON THE NEURONAL PHENOTYPE OF HUMAN NEUROBLASTOMA-CELLS

We have probed the molecular basis of functional effects of ciliary ne urotrophic factor (CNTF) and nerve growth factor (NGF) on aspects of t he neuronal differentiation of LA-N-2 neuroblastoma cells. The influen ce of CNTF on the cholinergic phenotype can be accounted for by transc riptional/translational effects without implicating posttranslational mechanisms, Although both NGF receptors are expressed constitutively b y LA-N-2 cells, CNTF has a marked stimulatory effect on trkA mRNA and protein. The NGF receptors are functional in serum-free conditions whe re they mitigate CNTF effects on cell adhesion but do not support proc ess extension. Following priming by CNTF, NGF and CNTF have synergisti c influences on process formation but not on choline acetyltransferase -specific activity.