title: Differentiation of neuroblastoma cells correlates with an altered splicing pattern of tau RNA.
abstract: Morphological differentiation of N2A neuroblastoma cells is associated with an altered splicing of the gene of the microtubule-associated protein, tau. Two populations of RNA (coding for tau proteins containing three or four tubulin-binding motifs) are present in a similar proportion in undifferentiated neuroblastoma cells while in differentiated cells the proportion is changed in favour of that population coding for tau protein containing four tubulin-binding motifs. An increase in a high molecular weight tau isoforms correlates with the increase in the RNA population coding for four tubulin-binding motifs. A possible consequence of expressing a higher proportion of the tau protein containing four tubulin-binding motifs could be an increase in microtubule stability of differentiated neuroblastoma cells.
authors.affiliation: MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Montejo de Garcini
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Corrochano
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Wischik
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Diaz Nido
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Correas
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Avila
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D015151:Immunoblotting; D051379:Mice; D009447:Neuroblastoma; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D012326:RNA Splicing; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014404:Tubulin / Q000378:metabolism; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D014404:Tubulin; D016875:tau Proteins