TCEA3 promotes differentiation of C2C12 cells via an Annexin A1-mediated transforming growth factor-β signaling pathway

TCEA3 is a member of the transcription elongation factor family that not only promotes transcription but may also participate in other cytoplasmic processes. However, its mechanisms of action remain unclear. Our previous study indicated that TCEA3 may affect muscle differentiation. In this study, we investigated the expression and localization of TCEA3 in C2C12 cells and examined the role of TCEA3 in differentiation, its interaction with other cell proteins, and mechanisms of action. We found that the expression of TCEA3 increased gradually with an increase in the number of differentiation days and that it is mainly expressed in the cytoplasm of C2C12 cells, of which it promotes differentiation. Coimmunoprecipitation experiments and western blot analysis revealed that TCEA3 interacts with Annexin A1 (ANXA1), which is located in the cytoplasm and also promotes cell differentiation. Collectively, our results indicate that TCEA3 promotes cell differentiation by interacting with ANXA1 and affecting Transforming Growth Factor-β signaling pathways.