A study on the structure -function relationship of radial glia cells

放射状胶质细胞对构建神经系统至关重要。它们既具有神经祖细胞的双重功能，又具有延伸放射状突起作为神经管发育的物理支架的双重功能。它们的径向形态是如何保持的，这是否重要是我们在这个项目中要解决的关键问题。本研究表明，小鼠脊髓中缺乏CXCL12/CXCR4/CXCR7信号的突变体的径向过程被破坏。有趣的是，这种破坏会导致中枢神经系统和外周神经系统之间的界面泄漏，因为可以看到外周神经系统的细胞侵入前者。然后我们发现CXCL12信号影响放射状胶质细胞对基底膜成分的粘附性。此外，我们发现CXCL12刺激促进了整合素B1的激活。因此，CXCL12/CXCR4/CXCR7在维持径向支架的完整性中起重要作用，从而维持中枢神经系统的细胞分离。

Radial glia cells are crucial to construct the nervous system. They have dual functions as neural progenitors as well as extending radial processes as physical scaffold for the developing neural tube. How their radial morphology is maintained and whether this is important are the key questions we have addressed in this project. Here we show that radial processes are disrupted in spinal cord of mouse mutants deficient in CXCL12/CXCR4/CXCR7 signaling. Interestingly this disruption causes leaky interface between the central nervous system and the periphery as cells from the latter are seen to invade into the former. We then showed that CXCL12 signaling affect the adhesiveness of radial glia to basement membrane components. Furthermore, we found that CXCL12 stimulation facilitates integrin B1 activation. Thus CXCL12/CXCR4/CXCR7 are important in maintaining the integrity of radial scaffold which in turn maintains the cellular segregation of the central nervous system.