Scientific Resources

Many studies have demonstrated a role for netrin-1-deleted in colorectal cancer (DCC) interactions in both axon guidance and neuronal migration. Neogenin,a member of the DCC receptor family,has recently been shown to be a chemorepulsive axon guidance receptor for the repulsive guidance molecule (RGM) family of guidance cues [Rajagopalan S,Deitinghoff L,Davis D,Conrad S,Skutella T,Chedotal A,Mueller B,Strittmatter S (2004) Neogenin mediates the action of repulsive guidance molecule. Nat Cell Biol 6:755-762]. Here we show that neogenin is present on neural progenitors,including neurogenic radial glia,in the embryonic mouse forebrain suggesting that neogenin expression is a hallmark of neural progenitor populations. Neogenin-positive progenitors were isolated from embryonic day 14.5 forebrain using flow cytometry and cultured as neurospheres. Neogenin-positive progenitors gave rise to neurospheres displaying a high proliferative and neurogenic potential. In contrast,neogenin-negative forebrain cells did not produce long-term neurosphere cultures and did not possess a significant neurogenic potential. These observations argue strongly for a role for neogenin in neural progenitor biology. In addition,we also observed neogenin on parvalbumin- and calbindin-positive interneuron neuroblasts that were migrating through the medial and lateral ganglionic eminences,suggesting a role for neogenin in tangential migration. Therefore,neogenin may be a multi-functional receptor regulating both progenitor activity and neuroblast migration in the embryonic forebrain. View Publication

The infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (INCL),a rare (one in 100 000 births) but one of the most lethal inherited neurodegenerative storage disorders of childhood,is caused by inactivating mutations in the palmitoyl-protein thioesterase-1 (PPT1) gene. PPT1 cleaves thioester linkages in s-acylated (palmitoylated) proteins and facilitates their degradation and/or recycling. Thus,PPT1-deficiency leads to an abnormal intracellular accumulation of s-acylated proteins causing INCL pathogenesis. Although neuronal apoptosis is the suggested cause of neurodegeneration in this disease,the molecular mechanism(s) remains poorly understood. We recently reported that one of the major pathways of neuronal apoptosis in PPT1-knockout (PPT1-KO) mice that mimic INCL,is mediated by endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-induced caspase-12 activation. ER stress also increases the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS),disrupts Ca(2+) homeostasis and increases the potential for destabilizing mitochondrial membrane. Mitochondrial membrane destabilization activates caspase-9 present in this organelle,and can mediate apoptosis. We report here that the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD),most likely induced by ROS,in human INCL as well as PPT1-KO mouse brain tissues are markedly elevated. Moreover,we demonstrate that activated caspase-3 and cleaved-PARP,indicative of apoptosis,are also increased in these tissues. Using cultured neurospheres from PPT1-KO and wild-type mouse fetuses,we further demonstrate that the levels of ROS,SOD-2,cleaved-caspase-9,activated caspase-3 and cleaved-PARP are elevated. We propose that: (i) ER stress due to PPT1-deficiency increases ROS and disrupts calcium homeostasis activating caspase-9 and (ii) caspase-9 activation mediates caspase-3 activation and apoptosis contributing to rapid neurodegeneration in INCL. View Publication

Numerous proteins undergo modification by palmitic acid (S-acylation) for their biological functions including signal transduction,vesicular transport and maintenance of cellular architecture. Although palmitoylation is an essential modification,these proteins must also undergo depalmitoylation for their degradation by lysosomal proteases. Palmitoyl-protein thioesterase-1 (PPT1),a lysosomal enzyme,cleaves thioester linkages in S-acylated proteins and removes palmitate residues facilitating the degradation of these proteins. Thus,inactivating mutations in the PPT1 gene cause infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (INCL),a devastating neurodegenerative storage disorder of childhood. Although rapidly progressing brain atrophy is the most dramatic pathological manifestation of INCL,the molecular mechanism(s) remains unclear. Using PPT1-knockout (PPT1-KO) mice that mimic human INCL,we report here that the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in the brain cells of these mice is structurally abnormal. Further,we demonstrate that the level of growth-associated protein-43 (GAP-43),a palmitoylated neuronal protein,is elevated in the brains of PPT1-KO mice. Moreover,forced expression of GAP-43 in PPT1-deficient cells results in the abnormal accumulation of this protein in the ER. Consistent with these results,we found evidence for the activation of unfolded protein response (UPR) marked by elevated levels of phosphorylated translation initiation factor,eIF2alpha,increased expression of chaperone proteins such as glucose-regulated protein-78 and activation of caspase-12,a cysteine proteinase in the ER,mediating caspase-3 activation and apoptosis. Our results,for the first time,link PPT1 deficiency with the activation of UPR,apoptosis and neurodegeneration in INCL and identify potential targets for therapeutic intervention in this uniformly fatal disease. View Publication

The low success rate of animal cloning by somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) is believed to be associated with epigenetic errors including abnormal DNA hypermethylation. Recently,we elucidated by using round spermatids that,after nuclear transfer,treatment of zygotes with trichostatin A (TSA),an inhibitor of histone deacetylase,can remarkably reduce abnormal DNA hypermethylation depending on the origins of transferred nuclei and their genomic regions [S. Kishigami,N. Van Thuan,T. Hikichi,H. Ohta,S. Wakayama. E. Mizutani,T. Wakayama,Epigenetic abnormalities of the mouse paternal zygotic genome associated with microinsemination of round spermatids,Dev. Biol. (2005) in press]. Here,we found that 5-50 nM TSA-treatment for 10 h following oocyte activation resulted in more efficient in vitro development of somatic cloned embryos to the blastocyst stage from 2- to 5-fold depending on the donor cells including tail tip cells,spleen cells,neural stem cells,and cumulus cells. This TSA-treatment also led to more than 5-fold increase in success rate of mouse cloning from cumulus cells without obvious abnormality but failed to improve ES cloning success. Further,we succeeded in establishment of nuclear transfer-embryonic stem (NT-ES) cells from TSA-treated cloned blastocyst at a rate three times higher than those from untreated cloned blastocysts. Thus,our data indicate that TSA-treatment after SCNT in mice can dramatically improve the practical application of current cloning techniques. View Publication

Talpha-1 tubulin promoter-driven EYFP expression is seen in murine neurons born as early as E9.5. Double labeling with markers for stem cells (Sox 1,Sox 2,nestin),glial progenitors (S100beta,NG2,Olig2),and neuronal progenitors (doublecortin,betaIII-tubulin,PSA-NCAM) show that Talpha-1 tubulin expression is limited to early born neurons. BrdU uptake and double labeling with neuronal progenitor markers in vivo and in vitro show that EYFP-expressing cells are postmitotic and Talpha-1 tubulin EYFP precedes the expression of MAP-2 and NeuN,and follows the expression of PSA-NCAM,doublecortin (Dcx),and betaIII-tubulin. Talpha-1 tubulin promoter-driven EYFP expression is transient and disappears in most neurons by P0. Persistent EYFP expression is mainly limited to scattered cells in the subventricular zone (SVZ),rostral migratory stream,and hippocampus. However,there are some areas that continue to express Talpha-1 tubulin in the adult without apparent neurogenesis. The number of EYFP-expressing cells declines with age indicating that Talpha-1 tubulin accurately identifies early born postmitotic neurons throughout development but less clearly in the adult. Assessment of neurogenesis after stab wound injuries in the cortex,cerebellum and spinal cord of adult animals shows no neurogenesis in most areas with an increase in BrdU incorporation in glial and other non neuronal populations. An up-regulation of Talpha-1 tubulin can be seen in certain areas unaccompanied by new neurogenesis. Our results suggest that even if stem cells proliferate their ability to generate neurons is limited and caution is warranted in attributing increased BrdU incorporation to stem cells or cells fated to be neurons even in neurogenic areas. View Publication

The aim of this investigation was to characterize the proliferative precursor cells in the adult mouse hippocampal region. Given that a very large number of new hippocampal cells are generated over the lifetime of an animal,it is predicted that a neural stem cell is ultimately responsible for maintaining this genesis. Although it is generally accepted that a proliferative precursor resides within the hippocampus,contradictory reports exist regarding the classification of this cell. Is it a true stem cell or a more limited progenitor? Using a strict functional definition of a neural stem cell and a number of in vitro assays,we report that the resident hippocampal precursor is a progenitor capable of proliferation and multipotential differentiation but is unable to self-renew and thus proliferate indefinitely. Furthermore,the mitogen FGF-2 stimulates proliferation of these cells to a greater extent than epidermal growth factor (EGF). In addition,we found that BDNF was essential for the production of neurons from the hippocampal progenitor cells,being required during proliferation to trigger neuronal fate. In contrast,a bona fide neural stem cell was identified in the lateral wall of the lateral ventricle surrounding the hippocampus. Interestingly,EGF proved to be the stronger mitogenic factor for this cell,which was clearly a different precursor from the resident hippocampal progenitor. These results suggest that the stem cell ultimately responsible for adult hippocampal neurogenesis resides outside the hippocampus,producing progenitor cells that migrate into the neurogenic zones and proliferate to produce new neurons and glia. View Publication

Leptin is detected in the sera,and leptin receptors are expressed in the cerebrum of mouse embryos,suggesting that leptin plays a role in cerebral development. Compared with the wild type,leptin-deficient (ob/ob) mice had fewer cells at embryonic day (E) 16 and E18 and had fewer 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine(+) cells at E14 and E16 in the neuroepithelium. Intracerebroventricular leptin injection in E14 ob/ob embryos increased the number of neuroepithelium cells at E16. In cultured neurosphere cells,leptin treatment increased Hes1 mRNA expression and maintained neural progenitors. Astrocyte differentiation was induced by low-dose (0.1 microg/ml) but not high-dose (1 microg/ml) leptin. High-dose leptin decreased Id mRNA and increased Ngn1 mRNA in neurosphere cells. The neuropeptide Y mRNA level in the cortical plate was lower in ob/ob than the wild type at E16 and E18. These results suggest that leptin maintains neural progenitors and is related to glial and neuronal development in embryos. View Publication

The concept that bone marrow (BM)-derived cells participate in neural regeneration remains highly controversial and the identity of the specific cell type(s) involved remains unknown. We recently reported that the BM contains a highly mobile population of CXCR4+ cells that express mRNA for various markers of early tissue-committed stem cells (TCSCs),including neural TCSCs. Here,we report that these cells not only express neural lineage markers (beta-III-tubulin,Nestin,NeuN,and GFAP),but more importantly form neurospheres in vitro. These neural TCSCs are present in significant amounts in BM harvested from young mice but their abundance and responsiveness to gradients of motomorphogens,such as SDF-1,HGF,and LIF,decreases with age. FACS analysis,combined with analysis of neural markers at the mRNA and protein levels,revealed that these cells reside in the nonhematopoietic CXCR4+/Sca-1+/lin-/CD45 BM mononuclear cell fraction. Neural TCSCs are mobilized into the peripheral-blood following stroke and chemoattracted to the damaged neural tissue in an SDF-1-CXCR4-,HGF-c-Met-,and LIF-LIF-R-dependent manner. Based on these data,we hypothesize that the postnatal BM harbors a nonhematopoietic population of cells that express markers of neural TCSCs that may account for the beneficial effects of BM-derived cells in neural regeneration. View Publication

The present study examined whether nestin+ neural-like stem cells detected in the scar tissue of rats 1 week after myocardial infarction (MI) were derived from bone marrow and/or were resident cells of the normal myocardium. Irradiated male Wistar rats transplanted with beta-actin promoter-driven,green fluorescent protein (GFP)-labeled,unfractionated bone marrow cells were subjected to coronary artery ligation. Three weeks after MI,GFP-labeled bone marrow cells were detected in the infarct region,and a modest number were associated with nestin immunoreactivity. The paucity of GFP+/nestin+ cells in the scar tissue provided the impetus to explore whether neural-like stem cells were derived from cardiac tissue. Nestin mRNA and immunoreactivity were detected in normal rat myocardium,and transcript levels were increased in the damaged heart after MI. In primary-passage,cardiac tissue-derived neural cells,filamentous nestin staining was associated with a diffuse,cytoplasmic glial fibrillary acidic protein signal. Unexpectedly,in viable myocardium,numerous nestin+/glial fibrillary acidic protein+ fiberlike structures of varying length were detected and observed in close proximity to neurofilament-M+ fibers. The infarct region was likewise innervated,and the preponderance of neurofilament-M+ fibers appeared to be physically associated with nestin+ fiberlike structures. These data highlight the novel observation that the normal rat heart contained resident nestin+/glial fibrillary acidic protein+ neural-like stem cells,fiberlike structures,and nestin mRNA levels that were increased in response to myocardial ischemia. Cardiac tissue-derived neural stem cell migration to the infarct region and concomitant nestin+ fiberlike innervation represent obligatory events of reparative fibrosis in the damaged rat myocardium. View Publication

In the central nervous system,neural stem cells proliferate in the ventricular zone (VZ) and sequentially give rise to both neurons and glial cells in a temporally and spatially regulated manner,suggesting that stem cells may differ from one another in different brain regions and at different developmental stages. For the purpose of marking and purifying neural stem cells to ascertain whether such differences exist,we generated transgenic mice using promoters from Hes genes (pHes1 or pHes5) to drive expression of destabilized enhanced green fluorescent protein. In the developing brains of these transgenic mice,GFP expression was restricted to undifferentiated cells in the VZ,which could asymmetrically produce a Numb-positive neuronal daughter and a GFP-positive progenitor cell in clonal culture,indicating that they retain the capacity to self-renew. Our results suggest that pHes-EGFP transgenic mice can be used to explore similarities and differences among neural stem cells during development. View Publication

Caspase proteases have become the focal point for the development and application of anti-apoptotic therapies in a variety of central nervous system diseases. However,this approach is based on the premise that caspase function is limited to invoking cell death signals. Here,we show that caspase-3 activity is elevated in nonapoptotic differentiating neuronal cell populations. Moreover,peptide inhibition of protease activity effectively inhibits the differentiation process in a cultured neurosphere model. These results implicate caspase-3 activation as a conserved feature of neuronal differentiation and suggest that targeted inhibition of this protease in neural cell populations may have unintended consequences. View Publication

The identification of neural stem cells (NSCs) in situ has been prevented by the inability to identify a marker consistently expressed in all adult NSCs and is thus generally accomplished using the in vitro neurosphere-forming assay. The high-mobility group transcription factor Sox2 is expressed in embryonic neural epithelial stem cells; because these cells are thought to give rise to the adult NSC population,we hypothesized that Sox2 may continue to be expressed in adult NSCs. Using Sox2:EGFP transgenic mice,we show that Sox2 is expressed in neurogenic regions along the rostral-caudal axis of the central nervous system throughout life. Furthermore,all neurospheres derived from these neurogenic regions express Sox2,suggesting that Sox2 is indeed expressed in adult NSCs. We demonstrate that NSCs are heterogeneous within the adult brain,with differing capacities for cell production. In vitro,all neurospheres express Sox2,but the expression of markers common to early progenitor cells within individual neurospheres varies; this heterogeneity of NSCs is mirrored in vivo. For example,both glial fibrillary acidic protein and NG2 are expressed within individual neurospheres,but their expression is mutually exclusive; likewise,these two markers show distinct staining patterns within the Sox2+ regions of the brain's neurogenic regions. Thus,we propose that the expression of Sox2 is a unifying characteristic of NSCs in the adult brain,but that not all NSCs maintain the ability to form all neural cell types in vivo. View Publication