Neuronal transcription program induced in hippocampal cells cocultured with bone marrow derived mesenchymal cells

Several approaches have been applied to harvest bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) and to differentiate into neurons or neuronal-like cells through chemical stimulation or exposing to growth factors. To date, the data regarding induction or regulation of neuronal transcription program in neuronal-like cells derived from BMSCs is yet unknown. The objective of this study is to co-culture BMSCs with neonatal hippocampal cells and generate neuronal-like cells by direct cell-to-cell contact system without using neuronal growth factors or neurobasal medium. Here, we proposed a role for NeuroD1 and Neurogenin -2 bHLH family of transcription factors implicated in onset of neurogenesis and differentiation of cells into neurons in promoting the interaction of hippocampal cells with BMSCs and their differentiation in to neurons. The proliferation of the cells was assessed with MTT assay and the role of neuronal induction and differentiation transcription regulators NeuroD1 and Neurogenin-2 in cocultured cells was determined through immunocytochemical analysis. We observed activation and expression of the neurogenic transcription factors NeuroD1 and NGN-2 associated with neuronal activation program to initiate the onset of neurogenesis in cocultured cells. Further, our results have shown a significant expression of neuronal progenitor and immature neuronal marker i.e., nestin and tubulin respectively in cocultured cells endorsing the initiation of neuronal activation.