Syk protein-tyrosine kinase is involved in neuron-like differentiation of embryonal carcinoma P19 cells.

Syk has been implicated in activated immunoreceptors to downstream signaling events in hematopoietic cells. Here we report that Syk is expressed in neuron-like cells and involved in neuron-like differentiation of embryonal carcinoma P19 cells. Immunoblot, RT-PCR, and Northern analysis indicated that Syk is expressed in mouse brain, PC12 and P19 cells. In addition, Syk was found to be tyrosine phosphorylated during neuron-like differentiation of P19 cells. Furthermore, adenovirus-mediated overexpression of Syk induced supernumerary neurite formation and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation in P19 cells. These results suggest that Syk plays an important role in signaling steps leading to ERK activation in P19 cells.