Altered enzyme expression in "differentiated" murine neuroblastoma cells.

Out of 17 enzymes studied, only 9 were detectable by starch gel electrophoresis in mouse neuroblastoma cells in culture. Prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) and 4(-3-butoxy-4-methoxybenzyl)-2-imidazolidinone (R020-1724), a specific inhibitor of cAMP phosphodiesterase, were used to induce "differentiation". Lactate and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenases and adenylate kinase were expressed as single bands in untreated neuroblastoma and induced "differentiated" cells, but the electrophoretic mobility of these enzymes in PGE1-treated cells was slower than that in malignant and R020-1724-treated cells. Three bands of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase were detectable in PGE1-treated cells, whereas the R020-1724-treated cells had two bands and the untreated neuroblastoma cells had only one band. Aldolase was also expressed as a single band; however, the activity of this enzyme was much higher in PGE1-treated cells, whereas the activity was bately detectable for R020-1724-treated and untreated neuroblastoma cells. Some of the enzymes which are present in vivo are absent in vitro. Alkaline phosphatase is present in brain but is absent in neuroblastoma cells in vivo and in vitro. Two bands each of triose phsophate isomerase, fumarase and aldolase are present in brain, but only one band of these enzymes is present in neuroblastoma cells. Although PGE1 and R020-1724 induce many differentiated functions in neuroblastoma cells in a similar manner, PGE1 appears to change characteristically the expression of several enzymes.