Cholesterol biosynthesis and the pro-apoptotic effects of the p75 nerve growth factor receptor in PC12 pheochromocytoma cells.

Neocarzinostatin (NCS), an enediyne antimitotic agent, induces cell death in both p75NTR neurotrophin receptor (NTR)-positive and p75NTR-negative PC12 cells in a concentration-dependent fashion. However, p75NTR-positive cells demonstrate a higher susceptibility to NCS-induced cell damage. Furthermore, treatment of p75NTR-positive cells with the p75NTR-specific ligand, MC192, resulted in apoptosis, while treatment of these cells with the TrkA-specific ligand, NGF-mAbNGF30, protected them from NCS-induced death, implying that both the naked and liganded p75NTR receptors have a pro-apoptotic effect on PC12 cells.