FIGURE 7.

RIT1-mediated Sox2 activation requires Akt. A, HNPCs were transfected with either EV or activated RIT1 (CA) and treated with or without Akt inhibitor (triciribine, 10 μm) for 12 h, and immunofluorescence was used to detect Nestin (red) and cellular levels of Sox2-Thr¹¹⁸ phosphorylation (green). B, HNPCs expressing FLAG-tagged RIT1^Q79L were treated with Akt inhibitor and grown in complete neuronal differentiation medium for 6 days. Neuronal differentiation was assessed by immunofluorescence detection of Tuj1⁺ neurons (magnification ×20). C and D, quantification of phospho-Sox2⁺ and Tuji1⁺ neurons, respectively, as mean ± S.E. from three independent experiments. *, p < 0.05.