Biphasic regulation by dibutyryl cyclic AMP of tubulin and actin mRNA levels in neuroblastoma cells.

Blot hybridization analysis that used labeled tubulin cDNA probes revealed that N6,O2'-dibutyryladenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate [dibutyryl cyclic AMP (Bt2cAMP)] initially increases and later decreases the level of tubulin mRNA in a neuroblastoma-glioma hybrid cell line as well as in the parent cells. A significant increase in tubulin mRNA sequences is already evident 1 hr after the addition of Bt2cAMP to the neuroblastoma cells, and a maximal induction of 2-fold is seen after 12 hr. Continued treatment with Bt2cAMP for 4 days results in a down-regulation of the initial tubulin mRNA level independently of cell density. In the glioma cells Bt2cAMP also rapidly increases the level of tubulin mRNA sequences, reaching a maximum within 6 hr. However, in these cells the subsequent decrease in tubulin mRNA content depends on the culture's phase of growth: cells at the logarithmic growth phase do not down-regulate the tubulin mRNA content even after prolonged treatment with Bt2cAMP, whereas confluent cells do. The hybrid cell line manifests intermediate characteristics in Bt2cAMP regulation of tubulin mRNA level. The time course of induction and down-regulation of tubulin mRNA content observed in the hybrid cells is similar to that of the parent neuroblastoma, whereas the sensitivity to induction is glioma-like and is 8-fold over the initial level. Blot hybridization with labeled actin cDNA probes showed a similar but not identical induction of actin mRNA synthesis with the hybrid and glioma cells, whereas no significant change was observed with the neuroblastoma cells. Moreover, prolonged treatment with Bt2cAMP of all these cell lines did not result in down-regulation of actin mRNA sequences below the initial control value. It was also observed that the level of tubulin sequences in mRNA isolated from 12-day-old rat brain was higher than that in the newborn brain. However, at an age of 30 days, the level of tubulin sequences decreases to about 75% of the newborn level.