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Role of the c‐ myc and the N‐ myc proto‐oncogenes in the immortalization of neural precursors
Author(s) -
Bernard O.,
Reid H. H.,
Bartlett P. F.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
journal of neuroscience research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.72
H-Index - 160
eISSN - 1097-4547
pISSN - 0360-4012
DOI - 10.1002/jnr.490240104
Subject(s) - immortalised cell line , cell culture , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , retrovirus , cell growth , 3t3 cells , basic fibroblast growth factor , oncogene proteins , cell , oncogene , neural cell , growth factor , cell cycle , transfection , regulation of gene expression , gene , genetics , receptor
To study the role of c‐ myc and N‐ myc in the immortalization of neural precursors, we infected neuroepithelial cells isolated from 10‐day‐old mouse embryos with a new retrovirus vector, pzen, harboring either the c‐ myc or the N‐ myc oncogene. The immortalized cell lines contain high levels of the virally expressed myc protein. The amount of myc proteins correlated with the capacity of the cells to differentiate spontaneously in vitro into neurons and glia; cell lines expressing high levels of myc protein can differentiate spontaneously while cell lines expressing low levels of the myc protein resemble epithelial cells. Addition of acidic or basic fibroblast growth factor enhanced differentiation of most cell lines. Some of the cell lines produced neurotrophic growth factors capable of supporting the growth of other cell lines at low density. There was no significant difference between cell lines immortalized with c‐ myc or with N‐ myc . Most of the immortalized cell lines generated from bipotential precursors are capable of differentiating into neurons and glia.