Active Motif's PC-12 nuclear extract was prepared from cell cultures of the rat adrenal pheochromocytoma PC-12 cell line. This cell line originated from a catecholamine-secreting tumor (pheochromocytoma) of the rat adrenal medulla. In addition to catecholamine, PC-12 cells also produce neurotransmitters. PC-12 cells are frequently used as a model system for neuronal differentiation because of their ability to differentiate into a sympathetic neuronal phenotype in response to nerve growth factor, fibroblast growth factor and, under certain conditions, epidermal growth factor.
