The oligodendrocyte-type-2 astrocyte cell lineage is specialized for myelination

Astrocytes are one of the most numerous cell types in the vertebrate central nervous system (CNS) and yet their functions are largely unknown. In the rat optic nerve there are two distinct types of astrocyte: type-1 astrocytes develop from one type of precursor cell, and type-2 astrocytes develop from bipotential, oligodendrocyte-type-2 astrocyte (O-2A) progenitor cells, that initially give rise to oligodendrocytes (which make myelin in the CNS), and then to type-2 astrocytes. Type-1 astrocytes form the glial limiting membrane at the periphery of the optic nerve and are probably responsible for glial scar formation following nerve transection. The functions of type-2 astrocytes, which, like oligodendrocytes, are found mainly in tracts of myelinated axons throughout the CNS, are unknown. In this report we provide evidence that processes from type-2 astrocytes contribute to the structure of nodes of Ranvier, suggesting that the O-2A cell lineage is specialized for constructing myelin sheaths and nodes in the mammalian CNS.     

神经干细胞及其临床应用潜能

近年来神经干细胞已在成年哺乳动物中的中枢神经系统中分离成功。神经干细胞的最基本特征是具有分化为神经元、星状胶质细胞和少突胶质细胞的潜能，具有自我更新能力，并足以维持整个大脑所需。神经干细胞在修复受伤神经组织及治疗神经系统退行性疾病，如帕金森病、阿尔茨海默病、和亨庭顿病等方面有很好的应用前景。但在达到临床实际应用之前仍有一系列问题需要解决，最首要的是搞清神经干细胞的分化机制。     

Selective responses of visual cortical cells do not depend on shunting inhibition

Theoretical analyses of the electrical behaviour of the highly branched processes of nerve cells has focused attention on the possibility that single cells perform complex logical operations rather than simply summing their synaptic inputs. In particular, it has been suggested that the orientation and direction selectivity of cells in the visual cortex results from the action of a nonlinear 'shunting' inhibition that emulates an AND-NOT logical operation. The characteristic biophysical feature of this proposed inhibitory mechanism is that it evokes a large and relatively sustained increase in the conductance of the neuronal membrane while leaving the membrane potential unaffected. This shunting mechanism contrasts with linear 'summative' inhibition in which conductance changes are less prominent, and inhibition is achieved by hyperpolarization of the membrane potential. In a direct experimental test of the hypothesis that the selectivity of visual cortical neurons depends on shunting inhibition we found no evidence for the large conductance changes predicted by the theory.     

Retinal pigmented epithelial cells induced to transdifferentiate to neurons by laminin

Although the regeneration of nervous tissue in the vertebrate is very limited, there are a few remarkable examples of this process. Understanding the factors that regulate CNS regeneration in those areas of the nervous system where it occurs, will doubtless provide generally applicable, essential information about the process. It has been known for some time that the amphibian retina regenerates following its destruction. Transplant studies, confirmed later by in vitro experiments, have shown that one source of new neurons in regenerating retina is the retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE). RPE cells can transdifferentiate to either neurons or lens cells in culture, but little is known about the factors that regulate this process. A recent study in vivo of retinal regeneration provided evidence that the association of RPE cells with the retinal vascular membrane is an important step in transdifferentiation. We report here that transdifferentiation in vitro is profoundly influenced by the substrate on which the cells are cultured; RPE cells plated on laminin-containing substrates frequently transdifferentiate into neurons. In addition, we have found a high concentration of laminin in the Rana retinal vascular membrane. Therefore, we propose that retinal regeneration is initiated by changes in the composition of the extracellular matrix that RPE cells contact early in the process.     

Platelet-derived growth factor promotes division and motility and inhibits premature differentiation of the oligodendrocyte/type-2 astrocyte progenitor cell

The mitogens which modulate cell-cell interactions during development of the central nervous system are unknown. One of the few interactions sufficiently well understood to allow identification of such molecules involves the two glial lineages which make up the rat optic nerve. One population of glial cells in this tissue, the type-1 astrocytes, secrete a soluble factor(s) which promotes division of a second population of bipotential oligodendrocyte/type-2 astrocyte (O-2A) progenitor cells; these progenitors give rise to oligodendrocytes, which myelinate large axons in the CNS, and type-2 astrocytes, which enwrap bare axons at nodes of Ranvier. Type-1 astrocytes also promote progenitor motility, and inhibit the premature differentiation of progenitors into oligodendrocytes which occur when these cells are grown in the absence of type-1 astrocytes. We have now found that platelet-derived growth factor mimics the effects of type-1 astrocytes on O-2A progenitor cells, and antibodies to PDGF block the effects of type-1 astrocytes.     

Pericytes are required for blood-brain barrier integrity during embryogenesis

Vascular endothelial cells in the central nervous system (CNS) form a barrier that restricts the movement of molecules and ions between the blood and the brain. This blood-brain barrier (BBB) is crucial to ensure proper neuronal function and protect the CNS from injury and disease. Transplantation studies have demonstrated that the BBB is not intrinsic to the endothelial cells, but is induced by interactions with the neural cells. Owing to the close spatial relationship between astrocytes and endothelial cells, it has been hypothesized that astrocytes induce this critical barrier postnatally, but the timing of BBB formation has been controversial. Here we demonstrate that the barrier is formed during embryogenesis as endothelial cells invade the CNS and pericytes are recruited to the nascent vessels, over a week before astrocyte generation. Analysing mice with null and hypomorphic alleles of Pdgfrb, which have defects in pericyte generation, we demonstrate that pericytes are necessary for the formation of the BBB, and that absolute pericyte coverage determines relative vascular permeability. We demonstrate that pericytes regulate functional aspects of the BBB, including the formation of tight junctions and vesicle trafficking in CNS endothelial cells. Pericytes do not induce BBB-specific gene expression in CNS endothelial cells, but inhibit the expression of molecules that increase vascular permeability and CNS immune cell infiltration. These data indicate that pericyte-endothelial cell interactions are critical to regulate the BBB during development, and disruption of these interactions may lead to BBB dysfunction and neuroinflammation during CNS injury and disease.     

Axonal regeneration in the rat spinal cord produced by an antibody against myelin-associated neurite growth inhibitors

After lesions in the differentiated central nervous system (CNS) of higher vertebrates, interrupted fibre tracts do not regrow and elongate by more than an initial sprout of approximately 1 mm. Transplantations of pieces of peripheral nerves into various parts of the CNS demonstrate the widespread capability of CNS neurons to regenerate lesioned axons over long distances in a peripheral nerve environment. CNS white matter, cultured oligodendrocytes (the myelin-producing cells of the CNS), and CNS myelin itself, are strong inhibitors of neuron growth in culture, a property associated with defined myelin membrane proteins of relative molecular mass (Mr) 35,000 (NI-35) and 250,000 (NI-250). We have now intracerebrally applied the monoclonal antibody IN-1, which neutralizes the inhibitory effect of both these proteins, to young rats by implanting antibody-producing tumours. In 2-6-week-old rats we made complete transections of the cortico-spinal tract, a major fibre tract of the spinal cord, the axons of which originate in the motor and sensory neocortex. Previous studies have shown a complete absence of cortico-spinal tract regeneration after the first postnatal week in rats, and in adult hamsters and cats. In IN-1-treated rats, massive sprouting occurred at the lesion site, and fine axons and fascicles could be observed up to 7-11 mm caudal to the lesion within 2-3 weeks. In control rats, a similar sprouting reaction occurred, but the maximal distance of elongation rarely exceeded 1 mm. These results demonstrate the capacity for CNS axons to regenerate and elongate within differentiated CNS tissue after the neutralization of myelin-associated neurite growth inhibitors.     

P物质对大鼠星状神经节细胞的除极化

应用细胞内生物电记录技术,观察神经肽P物质(SP)对大鼠星状神经节细胞的影响.SP在1 μmol～10 μmol或更高的浓度范围内,供试35个细胞, 有28个细胞发生膜除极反应.用低钙(0.25 mm)或用含河豚毒素(TTX,1 μmol)克氏液灌流神经节,不影响SP引起的除极反应的幅度和时程.SP引起除极反应的同时常伴有膜电阻增大.当膜电位增大时,除极化反应幅度变小,反转电位为-80 mV至-100 mV.研究表明,SP对部分星状神经节细胞具有兴奋作用,使通过这些细胞的信息传递增强;SP对细胞膜的除极作用是由于其引起细胞膜钾导降低所致.     

Ependymal cells of chordate larvae are stem-like cells that form the adult nervous system

In ascidian tunicates, the metamorphic transition from larva to adult is accompanied by dynamic changes in the body plan. For instance, the central nervous system (CNS) is subjected to extensive rearrangement because its regulating larval organs are lost and new adult organs are created. To understand how the adult CNS is reconstructed, we traced the fate of larval CNS cells during ascidian metamorphosis by using transgenic animals and imaging technologies with photoconvertible fluorescent proteins. Here we show that most parts of the ascidian larval CNS, except for the tail nerve cord, are maintained during metamorphosis and recruited to form the adult CNS. We also show that most of the larval neurons disappear and only a subset of cholinergic motor neurons and glutamatergic neurons are retained. Finally, we demonstrate that ependymal cells of the larval CNS contribute to the construction of the adult CNS and that some differentiate into neurons in the adult CNS. An unexpected role of ependymal cells highlighted by this study is that they serve as neural stem-like cells to reconstruct the adult nervous network during chordate metamorphosis. Consequently, the plasticity of non-neuronal ependymal cells and neuronal cells in chordates should be re-examined by future studies.     

Neural stem cell transplantation in the repair of spinal cord injury

Neural stem cells are a pronising candidate for neural transplantation aimed at neural cell replacement and repair of the damaged host central nervous system (CNS). Recent studies using neural stem cells have shown that implanted neural stem cells can effectively incorporate into the damaged CNS and differentiate into neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes. The recent explosion in the field of neural stem cell research has provided insight into the inductive factors influencing neural stem cell differentiation and may yield potential therapies for several neurological disorders, including spinal cord injury. In this review, we summarize recent studies involving neural stem cell biology in both rodents and humans. We also discuss unique advantages and possible mechanisms of using neural stem cell trans plantation in the repair of spinal cord injury.     

Ia-restricted encephalitogenic T lymphocytes mediating EAE lyse autoantigen-presenting astrocytes

T lymphocytes specific for myelin basic protein (MBP) are responsible for the cellular events leading to autoimmune disease within the central (CNS) and peripheral (PNS) nervous systems. Both in actively induced and T-cell transfer versions of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) and neuritis (EAN), the autoaggressive T cells are activated outside the nervous system and reach their target tissue via the blood circulation. The target specificity of the autoaggressive T cells is impressive; T-cell lines specific for MBP predominantly home to and affect the white matter of the CNS whereas T cells specific for PNS myelin protein P2 exclusively infiltrate peripheral nerves. Having penetrated the tight blood tissue barriers, the lymphocytes seem to interact with local cells expressing the relevant autoantigen in an immunogenic form. Although the exact mechanism of target finding and destruction is unknown, studies from our laboratory have shown that astrocytes, a main component of the normal CNS glia, can actively present antigen to specific T cells. This observation suggests that astrocytes are involved in natural immune reactivity within the CNS, and that they may be involved in pathological aberrations, such as in the development of autoimmune lesions. Having studied astrocyte/T-cell interactions in more detail, we discovered that encephalitogenic T-cell lines recognizing MBP on astrocytes will subsequently proceed to kill the presenting cells. Here we report that astrocyte killing follows the rules governing 'classical' T-cell-mediated cytolysis; it is antigen-specific, restricted by antigens of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and apparently contact-dependent. Our data suggest that the nature of the recognized antigenic epitope determines whether or not antigen recognition is followed by killing; moreover, killing of antigen-presenting astrocytes seems to be correlated with the capacity to transfer encephalomyelitis to normal syngeneic rats.     

Localization of dystrophin to postsynaptic regions of central nervous system cortical neurons

Moderate non-progressive cognitive impairment is a consistent feature of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), although no central nervous system (CNS) abnormality has been identified. Recent studies have elucidated the molecular defect in DMD, including the absence of the protein dystrophin in affected individuals. Normal brain tissue contains dystrophin messenger RNA and dystrophin is present in low abundance in the brain and seems to be regulated in this tissue, at least in part, by a promoter that differs from that in muscle. Until now, antibodies and immunocytochemical methods used to demonstrate dystrophin at the plasma membrane of mouse and human muscle have proven inadequate to localize precisely dystrophin in the mammalian CNS. We have now made an antibody (anti 6-10) which is much more sensitive than those previously available to immunolabel dystrophin in the CNS. Using this antibody, we found that in the mouse, dystrophin is particularly abundant in the neurons of the cerebral and cerebellar cortices, and that it is localized at postsynaptic membrane specializations. Dystrophin may have a different role in neurons than in muscle, and an alteration at the synaptic level may be the basis of the cognitive impairment in DMD.     

猫上丘灰质层年龄相关的形态学变化

为观察、比较青年猫和老年猫上丘(superior colliculus SC)灰质层神经元密度及S100蛋白表达的变化,探讨导致相关变化的原因及其意义.用Nissl法显示上丘各层神经元及其分层结构,免疫组织化学方法(SABC法)示S100免疫阳性(S100-IR)细胞.光镜下观察、拍照,计数上丘各灰质层中神经元密度和S100-IR细胞密度.结果显示:与青年猫相比,老年猫上丘灰质层神经元密度显著下降(P<0.01),S100蛋白表达显著增强(P<0.01),胞体较大,阳性较强.说明动物衰老过程中,上丘灰质层存在着明显的神经元丢失,并伴随有星形胶质细胞反应性增生.     

Light-suppressible, cyclic GMP-sensitive conductance in the plasma membrane of a truncated rod outer segment

Recent experiments by Fesenko et al and ourselves have shown that excised membrane patches from retinal rod outer segments contain a cyclic GMP-sensitive conductance which has electrical properties similar to those of the light-sensitive conductance. This finding supports the notion that cGMP mediates phototransduction (see ref. 3) by directly modulating the light-sensitive conductance. However, some uncertainty remained about whether the patch experiments had discriminated completely between plasma and intracellular disk membranes; thus the cGMP response in an excised membrane could have resulted from contaminating disk membrane fragments, which are known to contain a cGMP-regulated conductance. Furthermore, the patch conductance has not yet been shown to be light-suppressible, an ultimate criterion for identity with the light-sensitive conductance. We now report experiments on a truncated rod outer segment preparation which resolved these issues. The results demonstrated that the cGMP-sensitive conductance was present in the plasma membrane of the outer segment, and that in the presence of GTP the conductance could be suppressed by a light flash. With added ATP, the effectiveness of the light flash was reduced and the suppression was more transient. The effects of both GTP and ATP were consistent with the known biochemistry. From the maximum current inducible by cGMP, we estimate that approximately 1% of the light-sensitive conductance is normally open in the dark; this would give an effective free cGMP concentration of a few micromolar in the intact outer segment in the dark.     

Single Na+ channel currents observed in cultured rat muscle cells

The voltage- and time-dependent conductance of membrane Na+ channels is responsible for the propagation of action potentials in nerve and muscle cells. In voltage-step-clamp experiments on neurone preparations containing 10(4)-10(7) Na+ channels the membrane conductance shows smooth variations in time, but analysis of fluctuations and other eivdence suggest that the underlying single-channel conductance changes are stochastic, rapid transitions between 'closed' and 'open' states as seen in other channel types. We report here the first observations of currents through individual Na+ channels under physiological conditions using an improved version of the extracellular patch-clamp technique on cultured rat muscle cells. Our observations support earlier inferences about channel gating and show a single-channel conductance of approximately 18 pS.     

Neuropeptides modulate the beta-adrenergic response of purified astrocytes in vitro

Neuropeptides may have functions in the central nervous system (CNS) other than altering neuronal excitability. For example, they may act as regulators of brain metabolism by affecting glycogenolysis. Since it has been suggested that glial cells might provide metabolic support for neuronal activity, they may well be one of the targets for neuropeptide regulation of metabolism. Consistent with this view are reports that peptide-containing nerve terminals have been seen apposed to astrocytes, but it is also quite possible that peptides could act at sites lacking morphological specialization. Primary cultures containing CNS glial cells have been shown to respond to beta-adrenergic agonists with an increase in cyclic AMP and, as a result, with an increase in glycogenolysis and have also been shown to respond to a variety of peptides with changes in cyclic AMP. In the study reported here, we have examined the effects of several peptides on relatively pure cultures of rat astrocytes. We demonstrate that the increase in intracellular cyclic AMP induced by noradrenaline is markedly enhanced by somatostatin and substance P and is inhibited by enkephalin, even though these peptides on their own have little or no effect on the basal levels of cyclic AMP. Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) on the other hand increases cyclic AMP in the absence of noradrenaline. These results suggest that neuropeptides influence glial cells as well as neurones in the CNS and, in the case of somatostatin and substance P, provide further examples of neuropeptides modulating the response to another chemical signal without having a detectable action on their own.     

Electrogenic glutamate uptake is a major current carrier in the membrane of axolotl retinal glial cells

Glutamate is taken up avidly by glial cells in the central nervous system. Glutamate uptake may terminate the transmitter action of glutamate released from neurons, and keep extracellular glutamate at concentrations below those which are neurotoxic. We report here that glutamate evokes a large inward current in retinal glial cells which have their membrane potential and intracellular ion concentrations controlled by the whole-cell patch-clamp technique. This current seems to be due to an electrogenic glutamate uptake carrier, which transports at least two sodium ions with every glutamate anion carried into the cell. Glutamate uptake is strongly voltage-dependent, decreasing at depolarized potentials: when fully activated, it contributes almost half of the conductance in the part of the glial cell membrane facing the retinal neurons. The spatial localization, glutamate affinity and magnitude of the uptake are appropriate for terminating the synaptic action of glutamate released from photoreceptors and bipolar cells. These data challenge present explanations of how the b-wave of the electroretinogram is generated, and suggest a mechanism for non-vesicular voltage-dependent release of glutamate from neurons.     

Opening of dihydropyridine calcium channels in skeletal muscle membranes by inositol trisphosphate

In many non-muscle cells, D-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3) has been shown to release Ca2+ from intracellular stores, presumably from the endoplasmic reticulum. It is thought to be a ubiquitous second messenger that is produced in, and released from, the plasma membrane in response to extracellular receptor stimulation. By analogy, InsP3 in muscle cells has been postulated to open calcium channels in the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) membrane, which is the intracellular Ca2+ store that releases Ca2+ during muscle contraction. We report here that InsP3 may have a second site of action. We show that InsP3 opens dihydropyridine-sensitive Ca2+ channels in a vesicular preparation of rabbit skeletal muscle transverse tubules. InsP3-activated channels and channels activated by a dihydropyridine agonist in the same preparation have similar slope conductance and extrapolated reversal potential and are blocked by a dihydropyridine antagonist. This suggests that in skeletal muscle, InsP3 can modulate Ca2+ channels of transverse tubules from plasma membrane, in contrast to the previous suggestion that the functional locus of InsP3 is exclusively in the sarcoplasmic reticulum membrane.     

Astrocyte glypicans 4 and 6 promote formation of excitatory synapses via GluA1 AMPA receptors

In the developing central nervous system (CNS), the control of synapse number and function is critical to the formation of neural circuits. We previously demonstrated that astrocyte-secreted factors powerfully induce the formation of functional excitatory synapses between CNS neurons. Astrocyte-secreted thrombospondins induce the formation of structural synapses, but these synapses are postsynaptically silent. Here we use biochemical fractionation of astrocyte-conditioned medium to identify glypican 4 (Gpc4) and glypican 6 (Gpc6) as astrocyte-secreted signals sufficient to induce functional synapses between purified retinal ganglion cell neurons, and show that depletion of these molecules from astrocyte-conditioned medium significantly reduces its ability to induce postsynaptic activity. Application of Gpc4 to purified neurons is sufficient to increase the frequency and amplitude of glutamatergic synaptic events. This is achieved by increasing the surface level and clustering, but not overall cellular protein level, of the GluA1 subunit of the AMPA (α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid) glutamate receptor (AMPAR). Gpc4 and Gpc6 are expressed by astrocytes in vivo in the developing CNS, with Gpc4 expression enriched in the hippocampus and Gpc6 enriched in the cerebellum. Finally, we demonstrate that Gpc4-deficient mice have defective synapse formation, with decreased amplitude of excitatory synaptic currents in the developing hippocampus and reduced recruitment of AMPARs to synapses. These data identify glypicans as a family of novel astrocyte-derived molecules that are necessary and sufficient to promote glutamate receptor clustering and receptivity and to induce the formation of postsynaptically functioning CNS synapses.