Silencing of Rho-GDI by RNAi Promotes the Differentiation of Neural Stem Cells

RNA interference (RNAi) technology is one of the main means in the study of stem cell differentiation. This study describes Rho-GDIγ function during the differentiation of neural stem cells by using RNAi. Rho-GDIγ belongs to the Rho-GDI protein family, which is expressed at high level throughout the brain. Although it exists in neuronal population, its physiological function is poorly understood. By using RNAi technology to downregulate expression of Rho-GDIγ, we found distinct morphological changes in neural stem cell line C17.2. More important, RT-PCR confirmed that RNAi-mediated downregulation of Rho-GDIγ decreased expression of Rho-GDIγ-regulated genes RhoA and slightly increased expression of Rac1. Further, immunochemical staining indicated that downregulation of Rho-GDIγ increased the tendency of C17.2 cells to differentiate. These data strongly suggest that Rho-GDIγ plays a key role in the differentiation of neural stem cells.