Intracellular Ca2؉ mobilization plays an important role in a wide variety of cellular processes, and multiple second messengers are responsible for mediating intracellular Ca 2؉ changes. Here we explored the role of one endogenous Ca 2؉ -mobilizing nucleotide, cyclic adenosine diphosphoribose (cADPR), in the proliferation and differentiation of neurosecretory PC12 cells. We found that cADPR induced Ca 2؉ release in PC12 cells and that CD38 is the main ADP-ribosyl cyclase responsible for the acetylcholine (ACh)-induced cADPR production in PC12 cells. In addition, the CD38/cADPR signaling pathway is shown to be required for the ACh-induced Ca 2؉ increase and cell proliferation. Inhibition of the pathway, on the other hand, accelerated nerve growth factor (NGF)-induced neuronal differentiation in PC12 cells. Conversely, overexpression of CD38 increased cell proliferation but delayed NGF-induced differentiation. Our data indicate that cADPR plays a dichotomic role in regulating proliferation and neuronal differentiation of PC12 cells.
Mobilization of intracellular Ca2ϩ stores is involved in diverse cell functions, including fertilization, cell proliferation, and differentiation (1-4). At least three endogenous Ca 2ϩ -mobilizing messengers have been identified, including inositol trisphosphate (IP 3 ), 3 nicotinic adenine acid dinucleotide phosphate (NAADP), and cyclic adenosine diphosphoribose (cADPR). Similar to IP 3 , cADPR can mobilize calcium release in a wide variety of cell types and species, from protozoa to animals. The cADPR-mediated Ca 2ϩ signaling has been indicated in a variety of cellular processes (5-7), from abscisic acid signaling and regulation of the circadian clock in plants, to mediating long-term synaptic depression in hippocampus.Ample evidence shows that the ryanodine receptors are the main intracellular targets for cADPR (1,2,8). Ryanodine receptors (RyRs) are intracellular Ca 2ϩ channels widely expressed in various cells and tissues, including muscles and neurons. It is the major cellular mediator of Ca 2ϩ -induced Ca 2ϩ release (CICR) in cells. There are three isoforms of ryanodine receptors: RyR1, RyR2, and RyR3, all of which have been implicated in the cADPR signaling (1, 2, 8). However, evidence regarding cADPR acting directly on the receptors is lacking (9). It has been suggested that accessory proteins, such as calmodulin and FK506-binding protein (FKBP), may be involved instead (10 -15).cADPR is formed from nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) by ADP-ribosyl cyclases. Six ADP-ribosyl cyclases have been identified so far: Aplysia ADP-ribosyl cyclase, three sea urchin homologues (16,17), and two mammalian homologues, CD38 and CD157 (18). CD38 is a membrane-bound protein and the main mammalian ADP-ribosyl cyclase. As a novel multifunctional enzyme, CD38 catalyzes the synthesis and hydrolysis of both cADPR and NAADP, two structurally and functionally distinct Ca 2ϩ messengers. Virtually all mammalian tissues ever examined have been shown to express CD38. CD38 knockout mice exhibit mult...