title: Importance of cell-aggregation during induction of neural differentiation in PCC-7 embryonal carcinoma cells.
abstract: The importance of cell-aggregation during retinoic acid-induced neural differentiation of embryonal carcinoma cells was studied on the PCC-7 cell line. These cells were chosen as they display low tendency for spontaneous aggregation, and they develop preferentially to neurons upon induced in vitro differentiation. Forced aggregation of these cells, in the absence of retinoic acid, did not result in development of neuron- or glial-like cells. Application of retinoic acid prior to or after the cell-aggregation did not result in neural tissue-like differentiation, either. Irreversible induction of neural development was achieved if cell-aggregation and retinonic acid acted simultaneously, and for a period longer than 48 h. Retinoic acid, on the other hand, was found to be toxic on non-aggregated PCC-7 cells. Our data suggest that cell to cell contacts alter the response of these cells to retinoic acid, and their close apposition is a prerequisite for the retinoic acid-induced neural differentiation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Comparative Physiology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Imrik
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Madarász
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D002449:Cell Aggregation / Q000187:drug effects; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D004261:DNA Replication / Q000187:drug effects; D054278:Embryonal Carcinoma Stem Cells; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D051379:Mice; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D016900:Neurofilament Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D016900:Neurofilament Proteins; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D014212:Tretinoin