The dystrophin isoform Dp71e Δ71 is involved in neurite outgrowth and neuronal differentiation of PC12 cells.

The Dp71 protein is the most abundant dystrophin in the central nervous system (CNS). Several dystrophin Dp71 isoforms have been described and are classified into three groups, each with a different C-terminal end. However, the functions of Dp71 isoforms remain unknown. In the present study, we analysed the effect of Dp71eΔ71 overexpression on neuronal differentiation of PC12 Tet-On cells. Overexpression of dystrophin Dp71eΔ71 stimulates neuronal differentiation, increasing the percentage of cells with neurites and neurite length. According to 2-DE analysis, Dp71eΔ71 overexpression modified the protein expression profile of rat pheochromocytoma PC12 Tet-On cells that had been treated with neuronal growth factor (NGF) for nine days. Interestingly, all differentially expressed proteins were up-regulated compared to the control. The proteomic analysis showed that Dp71eΔ71 increases the expression of proteins with important roles in the differentiation process, such as HspB1, S100A6, and K8 proteins involved in the cytoskeletal structure and HCNP protein involved in neurotransmitter synthesis. The expression of neuronal marker TH was also up-regulated. Mass spectrometry data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD009114.