Vasoactive intestinal peptide gene expression in the rat pheochromocytoma cell line PC12.

Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) gene expression was analyzed in PC12 cells. VIP mRNA was detected in PC12 cells treated with VIP or forskolin whereas no VIP mRNA was detected in the untreated cells. The induction of the VIP mRNA was enhanced by the simultaneous treatment with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA). PC12 cells stimulated with forskolin plus TPA released immunoreactive VIP. Sephadex G-50 column chromatography revealed that the immunoreactive VIP secreted from PC12 cells is comprised of multiple forms, one of which was indistinguishable from the authentic VIP. PC12 cells supported an efficient transcription from the human VIP gene promoter in a cell-specific as well as cAMP-dependent manner. These results definitely demonstrated the expression of the VIP gene in PC12 cells. VIP biosynthesis may be positively regulated by VIP in an autocrine fashion in PC12 cells.