Differential Incorporation of β-actin as A Component of RNA Polymerase II into Regulatory Regions of Stemness/Differentiation Genes in Retinoic Acid-Induced Differentiated Human Embryonic Carcinoma Cells

OBJECTIVE: Nuclear actin is involved in transcription regulation by recruitment of histone modifiers and chromatin remodelers to the regulatory regions of active genes. In recent years, further attention has been focused on the role of actin as a nuclear protein in transcriptional processes. In the current study, the epigenetic role of nuclear actin on transcription regulation of two stemness (OCT4 and NANOG) and two differentiation) NESTIN and PAX6) marker genes was evaluated in a human embryonal carcinoma cell line (NT2) before and after differentiation induction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this experimental study, differentiation of embryonal cells was induced by retinoic acid (RA), and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to evaluate differential expression of marker genes before and 3 days after RA- induced differentiation. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) coupled with real-time PCR was then undertaken to monitor the incorporation of β-actin, as a functional component of RNA polymerase II, in the regulatory regions of marker genes. RESULTS: Data showed significant change in nuclear actin incorporation into the promoter regions of NESTIN and PAX6 after RA-induction. CONCLUSION: We emphasize the dynamic functional role of nuclear actin in differentiation of embryonal cells and its role as a subunit of RNA polymerase II.