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

放射状胶质细胞是构成神经系统的关键细胞。它们既具有神经前体的双重功能，又作为发育中的神经管的物理支架延伸放射状突起。如何保持它们的径向形态，以及这是否重要，是我们在这个项目中解决的关键问题。在这里，我们显示了CXCL12/CXCR4/CXCR7信号缺陷突变小鼠脊髓的放射状突起被破坏。有趣的是，这种干扰导致中枢神经系统和外周之间的界面泄漏，因为后者的细胞被认为侵入了前者。我们随后发现CXCL12信号影响放射状胶质细胞与基底膜成分的粘附性。此外，我们还发现CXCL12刺激促进了整合素B1的激活。因此，CXCL12/CXCR4/CXCR7在维持放射状支架的完整性中起重要作用，而放射状支架又维持中枢神经系统的细胞隔离。

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.