Ect2, an Ortholog of Drosophila'sPebble, Negatively Regulates Neurite Outgrowth in Neuroblastoma X Glioma Hybrid NG108-15 Cells

• Published in: Cellular and molecular neurobiology 2011-07, Vol.31 (5), p.663-668
• Main Authors: Tsuji, Takahiro, Higashida, Chiharu, Yoshida, Yasumasa, Islam, Mohammad Saharul, Dohmoto, Mitsuko, Koizumi, Keita, Higashida, Haruhiro
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Drosophila
• ISSN: 0272-4340
• DOI: 10.1007/s10571-011-9668-3

To identify genes required for brain development, we previously performed in vivo RNA interference (RNAi) screening in Drosophila embryos. We identified pebble as a gene that disrupts development of the Drosophila nervous system. Although pebble has been shown to be involved in neuronal development of Drosophila in several screens, the involvement of Ect2, a mammalian ortholog of pebble, in mammalian neuronal development has not been addressed. To examine the role of Ect2 in neuronal differentiation, we performed Ect2 RNAi in the mouse neuroblastoma X rat glioma NG108-15 cell line. Depletion of Ect2 resulted in an increased proportion of binucleate cells and morphological differentiation of NG108-15 cells characterized by the outgrowth of neurites. These morphological changes were correlated with an increased level of acetylcholine esterase mRNA. In addition, expression of Ect2 was decreased in differentiated NG108-15 cells induced by dibutyryl cyclic AMP. These findings indicate that Ect2 negatively regulates the differentiation of NG108-15 cells and suggest that Ect2 may play a role in neuronal differentiation and brain development in vivo.