Differentiation of aggregated murine P19 embryonal carcinoma cells is induced by a novel visceral endoderm-specific FGF-like factor and inhibited by activin A.
Aggregation of P19 embryonal carcinoma cells in the presence of a factor, secreted by the visceral endoderm-like cell line END-2, induces differentiation to cell types including visceral endoderm, mesoderm-derived muscle tissue and neurons. This factor is different from activin A, type beta transforming growth factors (TGF beta) and fibroblast growth factors (FGF) although its acid- and heat-lability and its stability in the presence of reducing agents resemble the properties of the FGFs. The END-2 factor is completely inhibited in its action by activin A. This inhibitory effect of activin A is not specific for the END-2 factor as retinoic acid (RA)-induced differentiation of aggregated P19 EC cells into neurons (10(-8) M RA) or mesoderm-derived muscle tissue (10(-9) M RA) is also completely inhibited by activin A. The results of this study suggest that the END-2 activity and activin A are intimately involved in the induction and regulation, respectively, of early differentiation processes in vertebrate embryogenesis.
van den Eijnden-van Raaij
A J
AJ
Hubrecht Laboratory, Netherlands Institute for Developmental Biology, Utrecht.
van Achterberg
T A
TA
van der Kruijssen
C M
CM
Piersma
A H
AH
Huylebroeck
D
D
de Laat
S W
SW
Mummery
C L
CL
D028341:Activins; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D002460:Cell Line; D054278:Embryonal Carcinoma Stem Cells; D004707:Endoderm / Q000378:metabolism*; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D007265:Inhibins / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D014781:Viscera / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism
D028341:Activins; D007265:Inhibins; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors