Orphan nuclear receptor Nur77 is required for the differentiation of C6 glioma cells induced by cholera toxin.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate a possible regulator gene involved in the cholera toxin-induced differentiation of rat C6 glioma cells.


METHODS
The global changes in the mRNA expression pattern induced by cholera toxin were analyzed using gene chip microarray. The selected gene was then silenced by RNA interference or overexpressed with an ORF plasmid to determine its necessity in this process.


RESULTS
Nur77, a member of the orphan nuclear receptor family (NR4A), was markedly up-regulated during the process of differentiation. Furthermore, RNAi of nur77 attenuated the induction effect of cholera toxin on C6 cells, whereas overexpression of nur77 led to similarly differentiated behavior, including morphologic and biomarker changes, as well as cell cycle arrest.


CONCLUSIONS
Nur77 participated actively and essentially as an important regulator in the cholera toxin-induced differentiation of C6 cells.
Xu
Dong
D
Department of Pharmacology, Zhong-shan Medical College, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Huang
Yi-jun
YJ
Li
Yan
Y
Yin
Wei
W
Yan
Guang-mei
GM
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D002453:Cell Cycle; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002772:Cholera Toxin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005910:Glioma / Q000378:metabolism*; D057105:Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 4, Group A, Member 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D034622:RNA Interference; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D015854:Up-Regulation
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D057105:Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 4, Group A, Member 1; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D002772:Cholera Toxin