title: Wnt/β-catenin pathway might underlie the MET in trans- differentiation from MSC to MSC-derived neuron.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe MET-associated alteration during the trans-differentiation from MSCs to neuron-like cells, and to explore the possible molecular mechanism.
  
  
  METHODS
  Bone marrow MSCs were isolated from rat femur and purified in continuous cell culture. After induced differentiation to neuron-like cells by the combination of butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), cells were tested by comparative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the relative expression of MET biomarkers and transcription factors, and for cell cycle by flow cytometry. Meanwhile, target genes of Wnt/β-catenin pathway were also analyzed by comparative PCR to determine the possible involvement.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In MSC-induced neuron-like cells, MET-associated transcription factors such as Snail, Slug, ZEB1, ZEB2, and Twist were significantly attenuated in expression level. The Mesenchymal marker Vimentin expression level was increased. Membrane protein E-cad was slightly down-regulated, while N-cad level was marginally elevated. Percentage of proliferating cells (S phase in cell cycle) markedly shrank from 40.42% for MSCs to 6.76% for MSC-derived neuron. Additionally, Wnt/β-catenin target genes β-catenin and c-myc were decreasingly expressed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Chemically induced trans-differentiation from MSC to neuron caused similar MET-featured alteration in gene expression and proliferation to known MET, which might be underlied by deactivation of Wnt/β-catenin pathway.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jing
authors.forename: Jia-cheng
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Su-ting
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Ji-hua
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xue-fei
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xing
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D060449:Wnt Signaling Pathway; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc; D051176:beta Catenin