Cyclic AMP-dependent expression of the heavy neurofilament (NF-H) polypeptide in differentiating neuroblastoma cells

Dibutyryl cyclic AMP (dbcAMP) treatment of Neuro 2A neuroblastoma cells induces cell differentiation and neurite outgrowth. Undifferentiated cells express the heavy neurofilament polypeptide (NF-H) at a low level. Following differentiation, there is a large increase in its expression due to an increase in the corresponding cellular mRNA. A similar increase is seen following forskolin treatment of the cells indicating that the increase in NF-H expression is cyclic AMP-dependent. The increase in mRNA is due to an increase in gene transcription as demonstrated by a nuclear run-off assay.