Laminin-induced PC-12 cell differentiation is inhibited following laser inactivation of cellular prion protein

Prions, the etiological agents for infectious degenerative encephalopathies , act by inducing structural modifications in the cellular prion protein (P rPc). Recently, we demonstrated that PrPc binds laminin (LN) and that this interaction is important for the neuritogenesis of cultured hippocampal neu rons. Here we have used the PC-12 cell model to explore the biological role of LN-PrPc interaction. Antibodies against PrPc inhibit cell adhesion to L N-coated culture plaques. Furthermore, chromophore-assisted laser inactivat ion of cell surface PrPc perturbs LN-induced differentiation and promotes r etraction of mature neurites. These results point out to the importance of PrPc as a cell surface ligand for LN. (C) 2000 Federation of European Bioch emical Societies. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.