Altered expression and distribution of FAC1 during NGF-induced neurite outgrowth of PC12 cells

Abstract

The molecular mechanisms by which neurotrophins such as nerve growth factor (NGF) induce neurite outgrowth and differentiation remain unclear, although multiple intracellular signaling pathways are known to participate. Recent studies have shown that nuclear transcription factors play an important role in NGF-stimulated neuritic outgrowth in PCI2 cells. We investigated whether FACI, a novel transcriptional regulator that exhibits altered subcellular distribution during brain development, is responsive to NGF-induced neurite outgrowth of PCI2 cells. Our studies demonstrate that NGF induces a rapid, transient increase in FACI mRNA that is dependent upon ERK activation, and that FACI protein exhibits altered subcellular distribution during neurite outgrowth. These findings suggest that FACI expression and subcellular localization are regulated by NGF signaling pathways during neurite outgrowth. © 2003 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins