Prdm12 regulates inhibitory neuron differentiation in mouse embryonal carcinoma cells.

The epigenetic regulatory system significant influences the fate determination of cells during developmental processes. Prdm12 is a transcriptional regulator that modulates gene expression epigenetically. The gene has been shown to be expressed in neural tissues, specifically during development, but its detailed function is not fully understood. This study investigated the function of the gene in P19 mouse embryonic tumor cells as a model for neural differentiation. A decrease in the expression of neuron-specific genes and the alterations of dendrites and axons morphology was confirmed in Prdm12-knockout P19 cells. In addition, almost no astrocytes were generated in Prdm12-knockout P19 cells. Comprehensive gene expression analysis revealed that there was a reduction in the expression of the inhibitory neuron-specific genes and , but not the excitatory neuron-specific gene , in Prdm12-knockout P19 cells. Furthermore, the expression of inhibitory neuron-related factors, , , and , decreased in Prdm12-knockout P19 cells. Gene expression analysis also revealed that the , , and genes were candidate targets of Prdm12 during neurogenesis. These results suggest that regulates the differentiation of inhibitory neurons and astrocytes by controlling the expression of these genes during the neural differentiation of P19 cells.