Differentiation of neuroblastoma cells correlates with an altered splicing pattern of tau RNA

• Published in: FEBS letters Vol. 299; no. 1; pp. 10 - 14
• Main Authors: de Garcini, E.Montejo, Corrochano, Luis, Wischik, C.M., Nido, J.Diaz, Correas, I., Avila, J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier B.V 02.03.1992
• Subjects: Animals; Cell Differentiation; Fluorescent Antibody Technique; Immunoblotting; Mice; Microtubule stability; Neuroblastoma; Neurons - cytology; Neurons - metabolism; PCR; RNA Splicing; Tau protein; tau Proteins - genetics; Transcription, Genetic; Tubulin - metabolism; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Tau protein; Microtubule stability; PCR
• ISSN: 0014-5793; 1873-3468
• DOI: 10.1016/0014-5793(92)80088-X

Morphological differentiation of N2A nouroblastoma cells is associated with an altered splicing of the gene of the microtubule-associated protein, tau. Two populations of RNA (coding for tau proteins containing three or four tubulin-binding motifs) are present in a similar proportion in undifferentiated neuroblastoma cells while in differentiated cells the proportion is changed in favour of that population coding for tau protein containing four tubulin-binding motifs. An increase in a high molecular weight tau isoforms correlates with the increase in the RNA population coding for four tubulin-binding motifs. A possible consequence of expressing a higher proportion of the tau protein containing four tubulin-binding motifs could be an increase in microtubule stability of differentiated neuroblastoma cells.