Neuroblastoma cells express c-sis and produce a transforming growth factor antigenically related to the platelet-derived growth factor.

Mouse neuroblastoma Neuro-2A cells produce transforming growth factors during exponential growth in a defined hormone-free medium, which, on Bio-Gel columns in 1 M HAc, elute at a molecular size of 15 to 20 kilodaltons (kDa). These neuroblastoma-derived transforming growth factors have strong mitogenic activity, but they do not compete with epidermal growth factor for receptor binding (E. J. J. van Zoelen, D. R. Twardzik, T. M. J. van Oostwaard, P. T. van der Saag, S. W. de Laat, and G. J. Todaro, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 81:4085-4089, 1984). In this study approximately 80% of the mitogenic activity was immunoprecipitated by antibodies raised against platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF). Immunoblotting indicated a true molecular size of 32 kDa for this PDGF-like growth factor. Analysis of poly(A)+ RNA from Neuro-2A cells demonstrated the expression of the c-sis oncogene in this cell line, whereas in vitro translation of the RNA yielded a 20-kDa protein recognized by anti-PDGF antibodies. Separation by reverse-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography demonstrated the presence of two distinct mitogenic activities in neuroblastoma-derived transforming growth factor preparations, one of which is antigenically related to PDGF. Both activities had the ability to induce anchorage-independent growth in normal rat kidney cells, both in the presence and in the absence of epidermal growth factor. It is concluded that Neuro-2A cells express c-sis with concomitant production and secretion of a PDGF-like growth factor, which plays a role in the induction of phenotypic transformation on normal rat kidney cells.