Analysis of NO synthase expression in neuronal, astroglial and fibroblast-like derivatives differen-tiating from PCC7-Mzl embryonic carcinoma cells

We studied the expression of the NO synthase isoforms in an in vitro model of neural development using RT-PCR, Western blot and immu- nohistochemistry. Murine PCC7-Mzl cells (Jostock et al., Eur. J. Cell Biol. 76, 63–76,1998) differentiate in the presence of all-trans retinoic acid and dibutyryl cAMP along the neural pathway into neuron-like, fibroblast-like and astroglia-like cells. Undifferentiated cells showed immunofluorescent staining for neuronal-type NOSI and endothelial- type NOS III. This expression pattern was retained in those cells differ entiating into neurofilament- and tau protein-positive neuronal cells. Thymocyte alloantigen (Thyl.2/CD 90.2)-positive Fibroblasts, appearing …