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GFAP null astrocytes are a favorable substrate for neuronal survival and neurite growth
Author(s) -
Menet Véronique,
Giménez Y Ribotta Minerva,
Sandillon Françoise,
Privat Alain
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
glia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.954
H-Index - 164
eISSN - 1098-1136
pISSN - 0894-1491
DOI - 10.1002/1098-1136(200009)31:3<267::aid-glia80>3.0.co;2-n
Subject(s) - astrocyte , glial fibrillary acidic protein , nestin , biology , neurite , neuron , cytoskeleton , neuroscience , intermediate filament , microbiology and biotechnology , vimentin , neurogenesis , neuroglia , neural stem cell , stem cell , central nervous system , cell , immunology , immunohistochemistry , biochemistry , in vitro
During the development of the CNS, astrocytes play a key role as a substrate for neuronal migration and axonal growth. These neuron‐astrocyte interactions could be regulated, in part, by the astrocytic cytoskeleton. Nestin, vimentin, and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) are the three identified proteins constitutive of intermediate filaments present in astrocytes. In the present study, we used mice deficient in GFAP to define the influence of the major protein of the astrocytic cytoskeleton on neuron survival and axonal growth in a model of neuron‐astrocyte coculture. We observed that GFAP null astrocytes are a better substrate for neuronal survival and neurite outgrowth than wild‐type astrocytes. This may be correlated with the relatively late occurrence of GFAP expression in astrocyte maturation when the early steps of neurogenesis are completed. GLIA 31:267–272, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.