A Time-Resolved RNA-Sequencing Dataset of Transcriptional Reponses to NGF Withdrawal and Stimulation Using PC12 Cells

Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) is a pleotropic extracellular signaling peptide with neurotrophic, cell differentiation, and cell survival functions. Binding of NGF ligand to tyrosine kinase receptors stimulates intracellular cascades to impact gene transcription. The amplitude of transcriptional responses is regulated by changes in NGF availability to coordinate neurodevelopment, and in the adult to regulate sensitivity and excitability of peripheral neurons. PC12 cells, derived from rat pheochromocytoma, are a classical model of NGF responses, that differentiate upon NGF treatment into neuron-like cells, with neurites and growth cones dependent on continued exposure to NGF. This dataset comprises a time series from PC12 cells treated with NGF, followed by NGF withdrawal and subsequent replenishment to elucidate NGF-dependent time-resolved gene transcription in peripheral neuron-like cells. RNA was extracted, sequenced, and mapped to the rat genome. QC measures and analysis of time-dependent gene expression changes validated by analysis of known marker genes show that this sequencing data is robust and contains thousands of transcriptional events for future study. These data are available in the sequence read archive (SRA) and serve as a valuable resource for the study of NGF-dependent transcription.