Expression of tyrosine hydroxylase in newly differentiated neurons from a human cell line (hNT)

Previous studies have demonstrated that the synergistic interaction of acidic fibroblast growth factor (aFGF) and a number of co-activator molecules (dopamine, TPA, IBMX/forskolin) can induce the novel expression of the catecholamine biosynthetic enzyme tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in non-TH-expressing neurons. To date, TH gene induction has been achieved only in cultures of primary brain neurons. In the present study, we investigated whether TH expression could similarly be induced in a cell line derived from human teratocarcinoma cells. Treatment with aFGF and its co-activators resulted in the prolonged expression of TH in newly differentiating human neurons (hNT) but not in their undifferentiated precursors (NT2). These findings suggest that hNTs may serve as a continual source of TH-expressing neurons for cell transplantation and developmental studies.