Fig. 6: Effect of the chimeric protein XIP-NLS on [Ca²⁺]_n and neuronal differentiation in NGF-treated PC12 cells.

a Representative traces of Fura-dextran-detected nucleoplasmic Ca²⁺ after ATP (100 µM) perfusion in NGF-treated PC12 cells (3 days) previously transfected with mock or XIP-NLS. Bar graph depicts quantification of ATP-induced nucleoplasmic Ca²⁺ increase. *p < 0.05 vs. mock. mock (n = 20 cells); XIP-NLS (n = 15 cells). b Representative Western blots and quantifications of GAP-43, PTEN protein expression, and Akt phosphorylation in NGF-treated PC12 cells (3 days) previously transfected with mock or XIP-NLS. The experiments were repeated at least three times on different preparations; *p < 0.05 vs. undifferentiated cells; **p < 0.05 vs. mock. c and d Representative traces and quantification  of voltage-gated sodium currents (I_NaV) recorded from PC12 cells under control conditions (undifferentiated, n = 6), after exposure to NGF for 3 days and mock transfection (n = 10) and after exposure to NGF for 3 days and NLS-XIP transfection (n = 20). The normalization for membrane capacitances produced similar results. e Quantification of membrane potential in all the conditions aforementioned. *p < 0.001 vs. undifferentiated cells; **p < 0.001 vs. NGF-treated PC12 cells + Mock