title: BMP-4 upregulates Kit expression in mouse melanoblasts prior to the Kit-dependent cycle of melanogenesis.
abstract: Genes encoding Kit and the Kit ligand (KL) play essential roles in the differentiation of melanoblasts. We previously established three immortal but distinct cell populations of mouse neural crest (NC) cells. NCCmelb4M5 cells do not express Kit and grow independently of KL; they have the potential to differentiate into NCCmelb4 cells, which are Kit-positive melanocyte precursors. NCCmelan5 cells show the characteristics of differentiated melanocytes. All three cell lines demonstrated bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) receptor expression. BMP-4 upregulated Kit protein and mRNA expression in most immature NCCmelb4M5 cells. Noggin, a BMP-4 antagonist, dramatically decreased the Kit expression induced by BMP-4. Western blot analysis revealed that extrinsic BMP-4 leads to the phosphorylation of Smads in NCCmelb4M5 cells. Using transfected Kit-promoter reporter, we showed BMP-4 could activate Kit promoter in transfected NCCmelb4M5 cells. We conclude that BMP-4 is active and is involved in the regulation of Kit expression on most immature melanocyte precursors. We further investigated the influence of BMP-4 in vitro using primary NC cells cultured from wild-type mice. Addition of BMP-4 to the medium increased the number of Kit-positive cells compared to diluent-treated controls. We have identified BMP-4 as an important factor for prenatal Kit-negative melanoblasts just prior to entering the Kit-dependent cycle of melanogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, St Marianna University School of Medicine, Kanagawa, Japan. tami@marianna-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Tamihiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kawakami
authors.forename: Satoko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: Yoko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kawa
authors.forename: Masashi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Masako
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mizoguchi
authors.forename: Yoshinao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Soma
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D055415:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003470:Culture Media / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008543:Melanins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008544:Melanocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D011247:Pregnancy; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000502:physiology; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D051898:Smad1 Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D051902:Smad5 Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D051904:Smad8 Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: C525810:Bmp4 protein, mouse; D055415:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins; D003470:Culture Media; D008543:Melanins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D051898:Smad1 Protein; C497401:Smad1 protein, mouse; D051902:Smad5 Protein; C497798:Smad5 protein, mouse; D051904:Smad8 Protein; C491621:Smad9 protein, mouse; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit