Knocking Down of UTX in NCCIT Cells Enhance Cell Attachment and Promote Early Neuronal Cell Differentiation

Abstract

Neural differentiation involves complex changes of gene expression patterns, which are controlled by chromatin remodeling that promotes or inhibits neurogenesis and gliogenesis. To study the roles of the ubiquitously transcribed tetratricopeptide repeat on chromosome X (UTX) during neuronal differentiation, we performed gene expression analysis in gene knock down experiments using an artificial miRNA technique. Microarray analysis found that a total of 919 genes were differentially altered in the UTX-KD embryonic carcinoma (NCCIT) cells, and a total of 964 genes in the UTX-KD embryoid bodies (EBs) by 2.0 fold cut off value. Gene ontology analysis revealed the association of cell adhesion related genes were enhanced by UTX-KD. Morphological analysis also showed more attached neurites during differentiation with UTX-KD cells. Differentiated neurons were characterized as GABAergic neurons expressing typical neuronal markers, TU-20 and GAD65. Collectively, our data suggest that knocking down of UTX enhances cell attachment by enhancing related gene expressions and thereby promotes early neuronal cell differentiation.