Our results indicate that in undifferentiated sebaceous gland cells, the AR functions as a differentiation enhancer by promoting cell cycle exit and triggering initial lipid accumulation.
Furthermore, modulation of earlier and terminal differentiation markers in OSCC-derived cells by over-expression and knock-down of S100A16 provided direct evidence that S100A16 functions as a differentiation promoting protein in OSCC (Fig. 4).
It is known that IL-6 promotes the differentiation of precursor cells to astrocytes and functions as a differentiation factor for neurons of the peripheral and central nervous system.
In addition, both Il6, which functions as a differentiation regulator of preosteoblast cells [ 46], and the corresponding downstream osteoblast-specific differentiation marker Runx2 decreased when stem-like cells entered differentiation, and Ocil, a negative regulator of osteoclast differentiation, showed a robust increase at both differentiation stages.
Because miR-142 locus is involved in B-cell leukemogenesis (Gauwerky et al., 1989) and since miR-142 is necessary for CD4+ DCs development (Mildner et al., 2013) and MK differentiation, miR-142 may function as a broad hematopoietic pro-differentiation factor.
In addition to its function as a regulator of adipocytes differentiation, PPARγ is expressed by several other tissues, and is involved in a number of pathological processes, such as inflammation and cancer [50].
Their observations suggest the role of REST as a tumour suppressor - but related to genetic instability, rather than its function as a repressor of neuronal differentiation.
Interferon-γ (IFN-γ) is known to function as a factor of growth, differentiation or activation for a variety of immune cells, such as macrophages, natural killer (NK) cells and cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) at the site of tumor in patients [ 1].
Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) is a member of the nuclear receptor (NR) superfamily of ligand-dependent transcription factors (TFs) and function as a master regulator of adipocyte differentiation and metabolism.
In mice, foxi1 has been reported to function as a master regulator in regulating differentiation of FORE cells in the inner ear [3] and intercalated cells in the urinary system [25].
