[P3-202] Alteration in gene expression after neural differentiation of rat mesenchymal stem cells by Salvia miltorrhiza optimized protocol
[Introduction] Salvia miltorrhiza could efficiently induce rMSCs to differentiate into neurons with neuro-physiological functions. Little is known about the precise mechanisms of salvia miltorrhiza on neuron differentiation. The aim of this study was to measure the effect of Salvia miltorrhiza on regulatory pathways at the level of gene transcription to investigate the potential mechanisms. [Methodology] The AffyMatrix Rat Genome RAE230 2.0 microarray chip was used to get the microarray datasets. The involved key genes and their possible interaction pathways were analyzed by the GeneGo software. KEGG pathway server was used to plot the identified genes into different pathways. Cluster 3.0 software was used to do cluster analysis on differential proteins hierarchically. [Results] Induction of Salvia miltorrhiza up-regulates biological processes like neuron differentiation, neurotransmitter transport, and transmission of nerve impulse, neuron projection development and neuron projection development. The cellular components of differentially expressed genes enriched by rMSCs induction were synapse, neuron projection, synapse part and synaptosome. For functional processes, Fc Gamma R-mediated phagocytosis, Focal adhesion, Gap junction, tight junction and glioma pathways were enriched. After the gene co-expression network with k-core algorithm analysis, Tubb4a, Syt3, Mag, Nrcam, Kif5, Stau2, Syp 1, IL-1β, IL-6, Syt4, LRRTM1 and Nsmf were characterized as the key genes regulating the neural differentiation during Salvia miltorrhiza induction. [Conclusions] Salvia miltorrhiza can efficiently induce rMSCs differentiation into functional neurons in vitro, and it indeed alters the key genes expression levels, which helps to illustrate the potential mechanism for neural differentiation of rMSCs.