[Gene expression of NGFR, EGFR, CGA, NPY in 4 neuroblastoma cell lines]

Gene expression of nerve growth factor receptor (NGFR), epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR), chromogranin A (CGA) and neuropeptide Y (NPY) in 4 neuroblastoma cell Lines without N-myc amplification was studied by using Northern blot technique. N type cells expressed more NGFR mRNA than S type cell's and have only little or no EGFR expression. S type cells had stronger expression of EGFR mRNA than that of N type cells accompanying with only less or even no NGFR expression. The results indicated that difference of gene expression of these growth factor receptors might be due to the various directions of tumor cell differentiation. Cells differentiating toward neurons gave more NGFR expression and cells prepared to be differentiating toward other direction might give more EGFR gene expression. Various gene expression of CGA and NPY in neuroblastoma cell lines might be due to the presence of different stages of tumor cell differentiation and NGF only induced differentiation of those neuroblastoma cells ready to be differentiating to neurons afterwards.