QUERCETIN AND LITHIUM CHLORIDE MODULATE WNT SIGNALING IN PLURIPOTENT EMBRYONAL CARCINOMA NT2/D1 CELLS

Wnt signaling functions in numerous cellular activities such as cell fate determination, patterning, and migration in embryogenesis, apoptosis, etc. In this study, we used quercetin and lithium chloride to investigate modulations of the Wnt signaling pathway in human pluripotent embryonal carcinoma NT2/D1 cell line. First, we optimized conditions for NT2/D1 cell treatments with quercetin and lithium chloride and assessed their cytotoxic effects on the cells, cell viability and proliferation rate. Our results showed that induction of cell death by quercetin and LiCl is p53-dependent in NT2/D cells. We also examined the degree of Wnt signaling modulations by analyzing the expression of c-myc, a well-known Wnt signaling target gene. Since the retinoic acid induction of NT2/D1 cells is good in an in vitro model system for human neural differentiation, studying Wnt signaling modulation in NT2/D1 would contribute to a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in neural stem cell maintenance and human neural development.