Transforming growth factor beta induces a beta-responsive calcium fluxes in neurons.

The beta-amyloid (a beta) peptide is a neurotoxic peptide that accumulates in the brains of Alzheimer patients, but is also present in body fluids at subnanomolar levels. The potential effects of these low levels of a beta are unclear. We have recently shown that physiologic levels of a beta increase tyrosine phosphorylation and induce increases in cytosolic calcium. The basement membrane mixture, Matrigel, is required for observation of the a beta-induced calcium response. We now show that transforming growth factor beta (TGF beta) is the active component in Matrigel eliciting the a beta/calcium response. The response to the type of TGF beta varies depending on the cell type with TGF beta 1 eliciting a beta responsiveness in olfactory neuroblasts, and TGF beta 2 eliciting a beta responsiveness in PC12 cells.