Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are regulated by extracellular antagonists of the DAN (differential screening-selected gene aberrative in neuroblastoma) family.
Using a biotinylated NBL-1 complexed with plasmid DNAs based on electrostatic interaction through avidin-conjugated polylysines, exogenous luciferase genes were expressed in neuroblastoma cells at a more than 10-fold higher level.
The forced expression of DAN gene enhanced the neurite extension in the presence of RA, suggesting that DAN gene product might contain some regulatory role(s) in the RA-induced cellular differentiation in neuroblastoma cells.