Gangliosides stimulate neurite outgrowth and induce tubulin mRNA accumulation in neural cells.

Morphological changes observed in a somatic neurohybrid clonal cell line SB21B1 are accompanied by a 9 fold increase in the expression of mRNA sequences for tubulin 14 days following the addition of various brain gangliosides to the culture medium. Upon removal of gangliosides, the expression of the tubulin message is restored to near basal levels. Actin mRNA sequences expression is not changed under these experimental conditions. This report documents for the first time, the involvement of gangliosides in the regulation of cellular gene expression for tubulin sequences by a mechanism which may be distinct from that of dibutyryl cyclic-AMP.