title: Bcl-2 mediates induction of neural differentiation.
abstract: Bcl-2 is an antiapoptotic protein expressed in a wide variety of cell types. We have found that overexpression of bcl-2 in PC12 neural crest tumor cells leads to increased expression of neural differentiation-associated genes and decreased expression of proliferation-related genes. Culture growth rate decreases as well. Overexpression of bcl-2 also leads to increased expression of TrkA and increased phosphorylation of signal transductants in, albeit not specific for, the TrkA-MEK-ERK pathway. Blocking of NGF-mediated signaling through TrkA prevents Bcl-2-associated expression changes in differentiation-associated genes, raising the possibility that Bcl-2 mediates induction of neural differentiation through TrkA/NGF signaling.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Center for Neuroscience and Division of Child Neurology, University and Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
authors.forename: Ye
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Zeljka Korade
authors.initials: ZK
authors.lastname: Mirnics
authors.forename: Chaohua
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Karen D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Nylander
authors.forename: Nina Felice
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Schor
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D004627:Embryonic Induction / Q000502:physiology*; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D009432:Neural Crest / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism*; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D016716:PC12 Cells; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D020917:Receptor, trkA / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor; D020917:Receptor, trkA