Orphan nuclear receptor Nur77 is required for the differentiation of C6 glioma cells induced by cholera toxin

Aim: To investigate a possible regulator gene involved in the cholera toxin-induced differentiation of rat C6 glioma cells. Methods: The global changes in the mRNA expression pattern induced by cholera toxin were analyzed using gene chip microarray. The selected gene was then silenced by RNA interference or overexpressed with an ORF plasmid to determine its necessity in this process. Results: Nur77, a member of the orphan nuclear receptor family (NR4A), was markedly up-regulated during the process of differentiation. Furthermore, RNAi of nur77 attenuated the induction effect of cholera toxin on C6 cells, whereas overexpression of nur77 led to similarly differentiated behavior, including morphologic and biomarker changes, as well as cell cycle arrest. Conclusion: Nur77 participated actively and essentially as an important regulator in the cholera toxin-induced differentiation of C6 cells.