Regulation of microtubule associated protein 2 (MAP2) expression by nerve growth factor in PC12 cells

In the presence of nerve growth factor (NGF), PC12 cells cease to divide and differentiate, extending long microtubule-containing neurites. We showed by immunoblot analysis that MAP2 was detectable in PC12 after 4 days of NGF treatment and that its levels increased five- to sevenfold after 12 days of NGF treatment. The apparent molecular weight of MAP2 in PC12 cells was similar to that of rat brain MAP2 (280,000), with a doublet representing the MAP2 isoforms. However, the relative levels of MAP2 in differentiated PC12 cells were 5-10% of those found in rat brain. Immunofluorescence analysis of NGF-treated PC12 cells revealed that MAP2 co-localized with tubulin and was present in cell bodies and neurites. Northern blot analysis showed that the levels of MAP2 mRNA increased in PC12 cells during NGF-treatment in a pattern that paralleled the protein levels, suggesting that MAP2 expression is transcriptionally regulated.