Induction of cholinergic differentiation by 5-azacytidine in NG108-15 neuronal cells

The DNA-demethylating agent 5-azacytidine (5-azaC) causes extensive genomic demethylation of 5-methyl-cytosine residues and reduces DNA methyltransferase activity in cells. This study evaluated the effect of 5-azaC on neuronal differentiation in proliferating NG108-15 neuronal cells, which exhibit cholinergic traits. The expression of choline acetyltransferase, an enzyme responsible for acetylcholine synthesis, was increased at both the mRNA and protein level, and neurite outgrowth was markedly induced with an increase of neurofilament-heavy chain protein, in the 5-azaC-treated cells. These findings show that global DNA demethylation markedly induces the expression of the neurotransmitter phenotype and morphological differentiation in NG108-15 neuronal cells as a model for cholinergic neuron.