Synergistic induction of neurite outgrowth by nerve growth factor or epidermal growth factor and interleukin-6 in PC12 cells.

Native PC12 cells respond differentially to nerve growth factor (NGF) but not interleukin-6 (IL-6); PC12-E2 cells, a stable variant, respond to both stimuli (and more rapidly to NGF). Neither responds to epidermal growth factor (EGF). NGF primarily induces the RAS/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway and IL-6 activates a JAK (Janus tyrosine kinase)/STAT (signal transducers and activators of transcription) response. EGF also stimulates RAS/ERK but in a transient manner. When either cell type is treated with combinations of NGF, EGF, and IL-6, at concentrations that produce modest or no response, a substantial augmentation of neurite outgrowth is observed. With PC12-E2 cells, a subthreshold concentration of IL-6 increases NGF response by approximately 2-3-fold after 1-2 days; the increase with EGF is more pronounced. Native PC12 cells show even greater synergistic effects with NGF and IL-6. The most dramatic effect was observed with low levels of EGF, where IL-6 increased the percentage of responsive cells from zero to approximately 60% after 3 days. In addition, two neural-specific transcripts, GAP-43 and SCG-10, are synergistically increased by the combinations of growth factors. Importantly, IL-6 does not enhance ERK phosphorylation in the presence of either NGF or EGF. In contrast, NGF and EGF, in the presence or absence of IL-6, cause mobility shifts of Stat3 that are consistent with serine phosphorylations. Although these modifications do not lead to activation and translocation by themselves, in the presence of the tyrosine phosphorylation induced by IL-6, they may play a role in the synergistic responses. These observations suggest a differentially regulated two-stage mechanism for the differentiative response of PC12 cells to NGF.