Transduction of NeuroD2 protein induced neural cell differentiation

J Biotechnol. 2006 Nov 1;126(2):230-6. doi: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2006.04.021. Epub 2006 May 30.

Abstract

NeuroD2, one of the neurospecific basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors, has the ability to induce neural differentiation in undifferentiated cells. In this paper, we show that transduction of NeuroD2 protein induced mouse neuroblastoma cell line N1E-115 into neural differentiation. NeuroD2 has two basic-rich domains, one is nuclear localization signal (NLS) and the other is basic region of basic helix-loop-helix (basic). We constructed some mutants of NeuroD2, ND2(Delta100-115) (lack of NLS), ND2(Delta123-134) (lack of basic) and ND2(Delta100-134) (lack of both NLS and basic) for transduction experiments. Using these proteins, we have shown that NLS region of NeuroD2 plays a role of protein transduction. Continuous addition of NeuroD2 protein resulted in N1E-115 cells adopting neural morphology after 4 days and Tau mRNA expression was increased. These results suggest that neural differentiation can be induced by direct addition of NeuroD2 protein.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors / genetics
  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors / metabolism*
  • Cell Differentiation
  • Cell Line
  • Mice
  • Neurons / cytology*
  • Neurons / metabolism*
  • Neuropeptides / genetics
  • Neuropeptides / metabolism*
  • Stem Cells / cytology*
  • Stem Cells / metabolism*
  • Transduction, Genetic / methods*

Substances

  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors
  • Neurod2 protein, mouse
  • Neuropeptides