Extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 is essential for the proliferation of neural stem cells derived from embryonic cortex.

Extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) pathway has been shown to be important for regulating cell proliferation and survival. The role of ERK1/2 signaling in the survival and growth of neural stem cells (NSCs) has not been addressed adequately. In this work, we aimed to provide evidence that proliferation of NSCs in vitro is controlled via ERK1/2-dependent pathway. NSCs were isolated from embryonic day 14.5 (E14.5) cortex of mouse forebrain. Cells were harvested at the desired times (1 d, 3 d and 5 d) and the total protein was extracted and analyzed by Western blot. It was observed that ERK1/2 was activated during the proliferation of NSCs. In addition, mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK) inhibitor PD98059, which directly prohibited ERK1/2 phosphorylation, inhibited the formation of neurospheres, and this inhibitory effect was dose-dependent. After treatment with 20 mumol/L PD98059, the growth of NSCs was also inhibited with time-dependence. These data indicate that ERK1/2 is essential for the proliferation of NSCs derived from mouse embryonic cortex.

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