Scanning gene expression during neuronal cell death evoked by nerve growth factor depletion

Depletion of nerve growth factor (NGF) from differentiated, neuronal PC12 cells causes a form of programmed cell death that stems from the attenuation of NGF receptor signaling and the resultant expression of certain genes required for cell death. To better understand the associated molecular events, we surveyed the changes in gene expression in PC6-3 cells, a subline of PC12, caused by depletion of NGF. Using restriction landmark cDNA scanning, we assessed the expression patterns of as many as 15,000 gene species, and 30 genes were isolated whose expression was altered in the absence of NGF. Of the 20 genes up-regulated in the absence of NGF, including transcription factor LRF-1/ATF3, most were also up-regulated during the programmed death of cortical neurons caused by Ca2+ ionophore. Their function may thus be a general feature of programmed neuronal cell death. In contrast, with one exception, expression of down-regulated genes was NGF-dependent and therefore diminished in the absence of NGF but unaffected by Ca2+ ionophore. These findings confirm that global investigation of the features of up- and down-regulated genes should add substantially to our understanding of the regulation of programmed neuronal cell death and the mechanisms involved.