Transcription Factor NF-Y Inhibits Cell Growth and Decreases SOX2 Expression in Human Embryonal Carcinoma Cell Line NT2/D1

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M. Mojsin^*, V. Topalovic, J. Marjanovic Vicentic, and M. Stevanovic

Institute of Molecular Genetics and Genetic Engineering, University of Belgrade, Vojvode Stepe 444a, 11010 Belgrade, Serbia; fax: (+) 381-11-397-5808; E-mail: mojsin@imgge.bg.ac.rs; vladankatopalovic@imgge.bg.ac.rs; jelenamarjanovic@imgge.bg.ac.rs; milenastevanovic@imgge.bg.ac.rs

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received August 1, 2014; Revision received September 22, 2014

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Transcription factor NF-Y belongs to the embryonic stem cell transcription factor circuitry due to its role in the regulation of cell proliferation. We investigated the role of NF-Y in pluripotency maintenance using NT2/D1 cells as one of the best-characterized human embryonal carcinoma cell line. We investigated the efficiency of protein transduction and analyzed the effects of forced expression of short isoform of NF-Y A-subunit (NF-YAs) on NT2/D1 cell growth and expression of SOX2. We found that protein transduction is an efficient method for NF-Y overexpression in NT2/D1 cells. Next, we analyzed the effect of NF-YAs overexpression on NT2/D1 cell viability and detected significant reduction in cell growth. The negative effect of NF-YAs overexpression on NT2/D1 cell pluripotency maintenance was confirmed by the decrease in the level of the pluripotency marker SOX2. Finally, we checked the p53 status and determined that the NF-Y-induced inhibition of NT2/D1 cell growth is p53-independent.

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KEY WORDS: NF-Y transcription factor, NT2/D1 cell line, cell growth, SOX2, p53

DOI: 10.1134/S0006297915020066

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