Induction of polyadenylate polymerase and differentiation in neuroblastoma cells

Treatment of neuroblastoma cells with dibutyryl-adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate or adenine induced axon formation and a three-fold increase in the polyadenylate, poly(A), content of the polysomal mRNA. The extracted poly(A) contained 90% adenylic acid and showed a mobility of 6--7 S in dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Treatment with dibutyryl-adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate or adenine, also induced a 4--6 fold increase in a nuclear enzymic activity that incorporated [3H]ATP to an acid-insoluble polymer in a cell-free system. This polymer, like poly(A) extracted from the polysomal mRNA, was bound at high salt concentration to nitrocellulose filters. [3H]ATP incorporation was Mg2+-dependent, sensitive to ribonuclease and EDTA and resistant to deoxyribonuclease and actinomycin D. There was no incorporation of [3H]UTP or [3H]dTTP and addition of TUP, CTP and GTP did not increase the incorporation of [3H]ATP. 5-Bromodeoxyuridine induced axon formation of neuroblastoma cells and poly(A) polymerase activity, without increasing the poly(A) content in the polysomal mRNA. The results indicate that induction of axon formation of neuroblastoma cells is associated with an increase in the activity of poly(A) polymerase. It is suggested that the induction of this enzyme may be generally involved in cell differentiation.