Expression of NMDA receptors in multipotent stromal cells of human adipose tissue under conditions of retinoic acid-induced differentiation

The system of NMDA glutamate receptors in human adipose tissue multipotent stromal cells and SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells was used as a model for studies of NMDA receptor expression during neurodifferntiation. Glutamate NMDA receptors were detected in multipotent stromal cells of human adipose tissue. The expression of NR1 subunits of NMDA receptors increased significantly after 6-day incubation of multipotent stromal cells of human adipose tissue with 10 µM retinoic acid. Only NR1 subunits of NMDA receptors were expressed in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. Incubation with retinoic acid did not promote the appearance of mRNA of other subunits (NR2A-D, NR3). The results indicate that expression of NMDA receptors can serve as an indicator of neuronal differentiation of cells and as a marker of the efficiency of neuronal differentiation protocol.