ABSTRACT
Addition of polysialic acid (PSA) to the neural cell adhesion molecule, NCAM, represents a unique posttranslational modification. Polysialylation of NCAM is developmentally regulated and associated with neural regeneration and plastic processes, as well as learning and memory. Two enzymes, the polysialyltransferases ST8SiaII and ST8SiaIV, are known to be involved in the polysialylation of NCAM. Both enzymes are individually capable of catalyzing polysialylation of NCAM, but their time of occurrence and their tissue expression are different. In this study the influence of polysialylation on the nerve growth factor-induced differentiation of PC12 cells was investigated. For this purpose, PC12 cells, which endogenously express NCAM, were transfected with ST8SiaIV to produce, for the first time, a stable polysialylated PC12 cell. We demonstrate that integrin-dependent adhesion to collagen I is reduced in PSA-expressing PC12 cells. Furthermore, polysialylated cell membranes as matrix are a poor substrate for the adhesion and differentiation of PC12 cells, compared with normal cell membranes.