GENE-EXPRESSION OF MASH-1, MATH-1, NEUROD AND NSCL-2, BASIC HELIX-LOOP-HELIX PROTEINS, DURING NEURAL DIFFERENTIATION IN P19 EMBRYONAL CARCINOMA-CELLS

We examined the gene expression of MASH-1, MATH-1, neuroD and NSCL-2 d uring neural differentiation of P19 embryonal carcinoma cells using re verse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and high performance liq uid chromatography. These proteins are members of basic helix-loop-hel ix transcription factor family and their expressions are reported to b e transient and restricted in the nervous system during early neurogen esis. Retinoic acid (RA; 1 mu M)-treatment and aggregation for 4 days induced and greatly increased MASH-1, neuroD and NSCL-2 mRNA in P19 ce lls. The increases peaked at day 3, 4 and 5, respectively. RA-treatmen t increased MATH-1 mRNA slightly. mRNA of MAP2, a neural differentiati on marker, were increased by RA-treatment and the increases reached to the plateau at day 5. The results indicate that the gene expression o f MASH-1, MATH-1, neuroD and NSCL-2 during neural differentiation in P 19 cells is transient and the order is similar to that in the mouse em bryo nervous system as previously reported. (C) 1997 Tohoku University Medical Press.