Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are regulated by extracellular antagonists of the DAN (differential screening-selected gene aberrative in neuroblastoma) family.
RTqPCR for paired-like homeobox 2b (PHOX2B), tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), and doublecortin (DCX) mRNA in PB and BM of children enrolled onto the High-Risk Neuroblastoma Trial-1 of the European Society of Pediatric Oncology Neuroblastoma Group (HR-NBL1/SIOPEN) was performed at diagnosis and after induction therapy.
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.