Radial Glial Development And Differentiation

描述（由申请人提供）：放射状神经胶质细胞在哺乳动物脑的构建中起关键作用，最初，通过作为新神经元的来源发挥作用，并通过为神经元迁移提供允许的和指导性的支架，最终，通过促进成熟脑中星形胶质细胞谱系的形成。放射状胶质细胞的功能取决于这些细胞的结构和分子极性。放射状神经胶质发育、分化和神经元-放射状神经胶质相互作用的异常导致人脑中神经元的异常放置和连接，这是许多发育性脑疾病（如癫痫和精神分裂症）以及大体畸形（如微脑畸形）的根本原因（小脑），中脑畸形（脑半球裂），无脑回畸形（光滑大脑，无脑回）、巨脑回（大脑回）、多小脑回（小脑回）和结节性硬化症。本研究的目的是阐明放射状胶质细胞在大脑皮质发育过程中分化为神经元前体、神经元迁移向导和星形胶质细胞前体的分子机制。 为了研究调节这些过程的分子信号，我们集中在神经调节蛋白1（NRG 1）及其受体（erbB 2，3和4）。我们早期的发现表明，NRG 1及其受体在发育中的大脑皮层中的放射状神经胶质细胞功能中起着至关重要的作用（Schmid等人，2003年）。NRG 1促进放射状胶质细胞的形成和分化。在缺乏通过erbB 2受体的NRG 1信号传导的情况下，放射状胶质细胞极性和发育是异常的。最近，NRG 1已被鉴定为精神分裂症的易感基因（Stefansson等人，2002 a; Stefansson等人，2002年b）。基于这些发现，我们推测NRG 1/erbB信号在放射状胶质细胞的发育和分化中起着指导作用。所提出的研究将通过分析（1）NRG 1-erbB 2相互作用在大脑皮层中放射状胶质细胞的分化、极性和功能中的作用，以及（2）放射状胶质细胞身份是否可以通过NRG 1-erbB 2信号系统的变化在出生后的大脑皮层中重新获得来验证这一假设。 总之，这些研究放射状胶质细胞的发展和分化将有助于破译指导正常的大脑皮层发育的基本机制，以及揭示各种发育性脑疾病，包括精神分裂症，放射状胶质细胞的发展和分化异常可能会导致有缺陷的大脑皮层组织，从而在神经功能缺损的发病机制。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Radial glial cells play a critical role in the construction of the mammalian brain, initially, by functioning as a source of new neurons and by providing a permissive and instructive scaffold for neuronal migration, and eventually, by contributing to the formation of astroglial cell lineages in the mature brain. The function of radial glia depends on the structural and molecular polarity of these cells. Abnormalities in radial glial development, differentiation, and neuron- radial glial interactions lead to aberrant placement and connectivity of neurons in the human brain, an underlying cause of many developmental brain disorders such as epilepsy and schizophrenia, as well as of gross malformations such as microencephaly (small brain), schizencephaly (split brain hemispheres), lissencephaly (smooth cerebrum, without convolutions), macrogyria (large convolutions), polymicrogyria (small cerebral convolutions), and tuberous sclerosis. The aim of this proposal is to elucidate the molecular mechanisms that determine how radial glial cells differentiate to function as neuronal precursors, neuronal migratory guides, and as astrocyte precursors during cerebral cortical development. To examine the molecular signals regulating these processes, we have focused on neuregulin l (NRG1) and its receptors (erbB2, 3, and 4). Our earlier findings demonstrate that that NRG1 and its receptors play a crucial role in radial glial cell function in the developing cerebral cortex (Schmid et al., 2003). NRG1 promotes the establishment and differentiation of radial glia. In the absence of NRG1 signaling via erbB2 receptors, radial glial polarity and development is abnormal. Recently, NRG1 has been identified as a susceptibility gene for schizophrenia (Stefansson et al., 2002a; Stefansson et al., 2002b). Based on these findings, we hypothesize that the NRG1/erbB signaling plays an instructive role in radial glial cell development and differentiation. The proposed studies will test this hypothesis by analyzing (1) the role of NRGl-erbB2 interactions in the differentiation, polarity, and function of radial glial cells in cerebral cortex, and (2) whether radial glial identity can be regained in postnatal cerebral cortex through changes in NRG1- erbB2 signaling system. Together, these studies on radial glial development and differentiation will help in deciphering the basic mechanisms guiding normal cerebral cortical development as well as in unveiling the pathogenesis of various developmental brain disorders, including schizophrenia, where abnormal radial glial development and differentiation may result in defective cerebral cortical organization and thus in neurological functional deficits.