Human neuroblastoma cells express alpha and beta platelet-derived growth factor receptors coupling with neurotrophic and chemotactic signaling.

Both platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) A- and B-chains are expressed in mammalian neurons, but their precise roles still remain to be clarified. In the present studies, we examined the expression of two PDGF receptor genes in human tumor cell lines derived from neural crest. The expression of alpha and/or beta PDGF receptors was detected in a wide variety of neural crest-derived human tumor cell lines such as neuroblastoma, primitive neuroectodermal tumor, and Ewing's sarcoma by RNA blot analysis, and confirmed by immunoblot analysis. We have also demonstrated that PDGF receptors on the human neuroblastoma cell lines were biologically functional. Accordingly, chemotactic and mitogenic activities were induced by either PDGF-AA or PDGF-BB in serum-free medium. PDGF isoforms as well as nerve growth factor induced morphological changes showing neuronal cell maturation. Moreover, PDGF coordinately increased the levels of the transcript of the midsize neurofilament gene. The neuroblastoma cell lines also expressed the transcripts of PDGF A- and B-chains. These findings suggest that PDGF isoforms are involved not only in the promotion of the neuroblastoma cell growth, but also in neuronal cell migration, growth, and differentiation in human brain development.