Regulation of secretogranin II mRNA in rat neuronal cultures

The regulation of SgII mRNA expression was investigated in primary cultures of neurons prepared from the hypothalamus and brainstem of 1-day-old rats. The administration of forskolin (FSK) resulted in a time- and dose-dependent increase in SgII mRNA expression, a 9-fold effect within 6 h being achieved with 10 microM FSK, which maximally increased cellular cAMP levels. SgII mRNA levels remained elevated for 24 h. Activation of protein kinase C with 100 nM phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) also increased SgII mRNA expression, although induction with PMA was slower and more moderate (3.8-fold above control after 24 h). Neither 10 microM 1,9-dideoxyforskolin nor 100 nM 4 alpha-phorbol 12,13-didecanoate, inactive analogues of FSK and PMA respectively, had an effect on SgII mRNA. Depolarization of neuronal cultures with 50 mM KCl had a small and variable effect on SgII mRNA levels (1.8-fold above control) in neuronal cultures and did not influence induction with FSK. To investigate whether neuron-like regulation of SgII mRNA expression could be reproduced in PC12 cells, PC12 cells were treated with 100 nM nerve growth factor (NGF) for 7 days prior to challenge with FSK or PMA. Whereas NGF alone modestly increased SgII mRNA expression in PC12 cells (1.8-fold above control), it did not uncover a stimulatory effect of FSK or PMA. These studies indicate that SgII mRNA expression is enhanced by an increase in cellular cAMP and activation of protein kinase C in primary cultures of neurons and emphasize that SgII mRNA is regulated in a cell-specific manner.