Abstract
A reporter gene assay that detects neurogenin 2 (Ngn2) promoter activity was utilized to identify compounds that induce neuronal differentiation. Ngn2 is a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor that activates transcription of pro-neural genes. Using this assay system and an activity-guided approach, seven phenolic compounds were isolated from the methanol extract of Oroxylum indicum: 1 oroxylin A, 2 chrysin, 3 hispidulin, 4 baicalein, 5 apigenin, 6 baicalin, and 7 isoverbascoside. Compounds 1 and 2 induced an estimated 2.7-fold increase in Ngn2 promoter activity, whereas 3 increased the activity by 2.5-fold. Furthermore, 1 and 2 enhanced neuronal differentiation of C17.2 cells, which are multipotent stem cells.
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Acknowledgments
We thank Prof. Dr. R. Kageyama for the Ngn2 plasmid. This study was supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).
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Fuentes, R.G., Arai, M.A., Sadhu, S.K. et al. Phenolic compounds from the bark of Oroxylum indicum activate the Ngn2 promoter. J Nat Med 69, 589–594 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11418-015-0919-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11418-015-0919-3