Changes of ornithine decarboxylase activity and polyamine content upon differentiation of mouse NB-15 neuroblastoma cells.

The possible functions of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) and polyamines in the differentiation of mouse NB-15 neuroblastoma cells were investigated by examining the changes of these parameters in the differentiating and nondifferentiating NB-15 cells over a 5-day culture period. Differentiation of NB-15 cells was induced by the addition of dibutyryl cyclic AMP and 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (1BMX) to the growth medium and was monitored by neurite outgrowth, increases of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and RI cAMP-binding protein. Plating of NB-15 cells in fresh serum-containing growth medium was accompanied by rapid growth and a marked increase of ODC activity; this early increase of ODC activity was attenuated, both in duration and in magnitude, in the differentiating cells. The spermidine content of the differentiating neuroblastoma cells was significantly lower than that of the nondifferentiating cells. In the fully differentiated neuroblastoma cells, the ODC activity and spermidine content were lower than that of the undifferentiated cells by approximately 15-fold and five-fold, respectively. Based on these results it is proposed that changes of polyamine metabolism may be of significance in the differentiation of mouse neuroblastoma cells.