Pre-B cell leukemia transcription factor (PBX) proteins are important mediators for retinoic acid-dependent endodermal and neuronal differentiation of mouse embryonal carcinoma P19 cells.

Pre-B cell leukemia transcription factors (PBXs) act as cofactors in the transcriptional regulation mediated by Homeobox proteins during embryonic development and cellular differentition. PBX1 protein is expressed throughout murine embryonic development, and its deletion in mice disrupts chondrogenesis. PBX protein levels are also increased in mouse embryonal carcinoma P19 cells during retinoic acid (RA)-induced differentiation. To elucidate the role of PBX proteins in this process, we stably overexpressed PBX1b antisense mRNA in P19 cells (PBX1b-AS cells). PBX1b-AS cells did not differentiate to neuronal or endodermal cells following treatment with RA suggesting PBX proteins are required for both processes. Furthermore we demonstrated that PBX proteins regulate the RA-dependent induction in the mRNA levels of bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) and Decorin (DCN) in P19 cells using both PBX1b-AS cells and PBX1 small interfering RNA. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays further demonstrated that PBX proteins directly bind to the promoter of Bmp4 and Dcn in vivo in a RA-dependent fashion. In addition, type I and type II BMP receptor mRNA levels were also increased in P19 cells following RA treatment; however, this was PBX-independent. Taken together these data demonstrate that PBX proteins are required for RA-induced differentiation of P19 cells and that PBX proteins regulate the expression of BMP4 and DCN during this differentiation process.