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Wnt signaling regulates the sequential onset of neurogenesis and gliogenesis via induction of BMPs
Author(s) -
Kasai Mana,
Satoh Kiyotoshi,
Akiyama Tetsu
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
genes to cells
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.912
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1365-2443
pISSN - 1356-9597
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2443.2005.00876.x
Subject(s) - gliogenesis , neurogenesis , noggin , biology , wnt signaling pathway , bone morphogenetic protein , microbiology and biotechnology , neural stem cell , proneural genes , cellular differentiation , neuroscience , signal transduction , stem cell , progenitor cell , genetics , gene
In the mammalian central nervous system, neurogenesis precedes gliogenesis; neurons are primarily generated at the neural stage, whereas most glial cells are generated perinatally and postnatally. However, the signals that regulate this sequence of events remain unclear. Here we show that Wnt signaling induces neuronal and astroglial differentiation but suppresses oligodendroglial differentiation. We observed that precursor cells infected with a retrovirus encoding β‐catenin differentiated into neurons, while astrocytes developed from uninfected precursor cells surrounding infected cells. As neurogenesis proceeded, expression of the bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), BMP2, 4 and 7, progressively increased in the cells infected with the retrovirus encoding β‐catenin. Furthermore, treatment of cells with Noggin, a BMP antagonist, completely inhibited astroglial differentiation but partially restored oligodendroglial differentiation. These results suggest that Wnt signaling indirectly regulates gliogenesis by inducing BMPs in neuronal cells. Thus, cooperation between Wnt and BMP signaling may play a key role in determining the sequence of neurogenesis and gliogenesis.