Apoptotic cell death of a temperature-sensitive central neuronal cell line

A neuron-like cell line HS-2, derived from a primary fetal rat (E17) hippocampal cell culture using the temperature-sensitive SV 40 large T antigen, exhibits flat shape and grows well in culture medium with 5% fetal calf serum (FCS) at the permissive temperature (PT, 33.5 degrees C). At the non-permissive temperature (NPT, 38.5 degree C), many, but not all cells, have a neuronal shape with processes. The addition of dibutyryl-cAMP promotes the morphological changes in the cells to a neuron-like shape with long neurite-like processes and the cells exhibit neuron-specific enolase- and glutamic acid decarboxylase-immunoreactivity. Apoptotic cell death also occurs in these cultures at the NPT. DNA fragmentation and chromatin condensation that are characteristic of apoptosis occur within 8 h of being placed at the NPT. By 48 h after being placed at the NPT, the number of surviving cells decreases by 40% in the presence of 5% FCS. This cell line should be useful for investigating the mechanisms of 'programmed cell death' of neurons, which appears to occur during brain development and possibly in CNS degenerative diseases.