CELL DIFFERENTIATION INDUCER AND DIFFERENTIATION INDUCING METHOD
The objective of the present invention is to provide a cell differentiation inducer which is a low-molecular compound, which can be chemically synthesized easily and which can efficiently induce a differentiation of an undifferentiated cell into a nervous system cell with high selectivity. In addition, the objective of the present invention is to provide use of a specific catechol derivative for efficiently inducing a differentiation of an undifferentiated cell into a nervous system cell with high selectivity, and a method for efficiently inducing a differentiation of an undifferentiated cell into a nervous system cell with high selectivity using a specific catechol derivative. The cell differentiation inducer of the present invention is characterized in comprising the catechol derivative having the specific chemical structure.
1 . A culture medium, comprising a catechol derivative represented by the following formula (I) as a cell differentiation inducer:
wherein
R 1 is a carboxy group, a (C 1-6 alkoxy)carbonyl group, a C 1-7 alkanoyl group, a C 2-8 alkynyl group, a carbamoyl group, a cyano group, a nitro group, a halogen atom, an oxazolyl group optionally-having a substituent α, a thiazolyl group optionally-having a substituent α, an oxazolinyl group optionally-having a substituent α, or a thiazolinyl group optionally-having a substituent α;
R 2 is a hydrogen atom, a C 1-6 alkyl group or a benzyl group;
n is an integer of not less than 2 and not more than 5;
substituent α is one or more groups selected from a carboxy group, a (C 1-6 alkoxy)carbonyl group, a C 1-7 alkanoyl group, a carbamoyl group, a cyano group, a nitro group and a halogen atom;
provided that two or more R 2 O groups may be the same or different from each other.
2 . The culture medium according to claim 1 , wherein R 2 is a hydrogen atom.
3 . The culture medium according to claim 1 , wherein two or more R 2 O groups are adjacent to each other.
4 . The culture medium according to claim 1 , wherein R 1 is a cyano group or a carbamoyl group.
5 . The culture medium according to claim 1 , further comprising retinoic acid.
6 . The culture medium according to claim 1 , used for inducing a differentiation of an undifferentiated cell into a nervous system cell.
7 . The culture medium according to claim 1 , used for inducing a differentiation of an undifferentiated cell into a neural crest cell.
8 - 9 . (canceled)
10 . A method for inducing a differentiation of an undifferentiated cell to a nervous system cell, comprising the step for cultivating an undifferentiated cell in a culture medium containing a catechol derivative represented by the following formula (I):
wherein
R 1 is a carboxy group, a (C 1-6 alkoxy)carbonyl group, a C 1-7 alkanoyl group, a C 2-8 alkynyl group, a carbamoyl group, a cyano group, a nitro group, a halogen atom, an oxazolyl group optionally-having a substituent α, a thiazolyl group optionally-having a substituent α, an oxazolinyl group optionally-having a substituent α, or a thiazolinyl group optionally-having a substituent α;
R 2 is a hydrogen atom, a C 1-6 alkyl group or a benzyl group;
n is an integer of not less than 2 and not more than 5;
substituent α is one or more groups selected from a carboxy group, a (C 1-6 alkoxy)carbonyl group, a C 1-7 alkanoyl group, a carbamoyl group, a cyano group, a nitro group and a halogen atom;
provided that two or more R 2 O groups may be the same or different from each other.
11 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein R 2 is a hydrogen atom.
12 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein two or more R 2 O groups are adjacent to each other.
13 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein R 1 is a cyano group or a carbamoyl group.
14 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the culture medium further contains retinoic acid.
15 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the nervous system cell is a neural crest cell.