Transient expression of the proto-oncogene int-1 during differentiation of P19 embryonal carcinoma cells.

In mouse embryos, the int-1 proto-oncogene is transiently expressed in areas of the developing neural system. Retinoic acid-treated P19 embryonal carcinoma cells have often been used as an in vitro model for the molecular basis of neural development. We shown here that int-1 is transiently expressed in differentiated P19 cells. The time course and retinoic acid dose dependence of int-1 expression suggest that the gene is specifically expressed during early neural differentiation. P19 cells may be a useful model to assist in the study, at the cellular level, of the role of int-1 in neural development.