Non-neuronal Glial Cells Research Articles

Neurofibromatosis 2 (NF2) controls the invasiveness of glioblastoma through YAP-dependent expression of CYR61/CCN1 and miR-296-3p

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and aggressive type of primary brain tumor derived from non-neuronal glial cells. Neurofibromatosis 2 (NF2) protein, also termed as merlin, is a well-known tumor suppressor; however, the molecular mechanism underlying this effect has not yet been fully defined. To investigate the role of NF2 in the invasiveness of GBM, we used two GBM cell lines: NF2-expressing T98G cells and NF2-deficient A172 cells. Knockdown of NF2 increased the invasiveness of T98G cells, whereas NF2-overexpressing A172 cells showed decreased invasive activity. Moreover, re-expression of NF2 reversed the high invasiveness of NF2-silenced T98G cells, indicating that NF2 negatively regulates GBM invasiveness. We further found that the NF2-mediated regulation of invasiveness was dependent on YAP and TEAD2 expression levels. NF2 also controlled the expression of YAP targets, including cysteine-rich angiogenic inducer 61 (CYR61/CCN1), by regulating the nuclear localization of YAP. Silencing of CYR61/CCN1 blocked the increased invasiveness of T98G cells, suggesting that CYR61/CCN1 is required for NF2-mediated invasiveness. Through microRNA microarray analysis, we found that NF2 negatively regulates the expression of miR-296-3p. Overexpression of miR-296-3p suppressed the expression of STAT5A, induced the phosphorylation of STAT3 by downregulating SOCS2, and increased the invasiveness of T98G cells. Taken together, we demonstrate that NF2 negatively controls the invasiveness of GBM through YAP-dependent induction of CYR61/CCN1 and miR-296-3p.

Vitellogenin in the honey bee brain: Atypical localization of a reproductive protein that promotes longevity

In comparative gerontology, highly social insects such as honey bees (Apis mellifera) receive much attention due to very different and flexible aging patterns among closely related siblings. While experimental strategies that manipulate socio-environmental factors suggest a causative link between aging and social signals and behaviors, the molecular underpinnings of this linkage are less well understood. Here we study the atypical localization of the egg-yolk protein vitellogenin (Vg) in the brain of the honey bee. Vg is known to influence honey bee social regulation and aging rate. Our findings suggest that Vg immunoreactivity in the brain is specifically localized within the class of non-neuronal glial cells. We discuss how these results can help explain the socially-dependent aging rate of honey bees.

Bioenergetic Mechanisms in Astrocytes May Contribute to Amyloid Plaque Deposition and Toxicity

Alzheimer disease (AD) is characterized neuropathologically by synaptic disruption, neuronal loss, and deposition of amyloid β (Aβ) protein in brain structures that are critical for memory and cognition. There is increasing appreciation, however, that astrocytes, which are the major non-neuronal glial cells, may play an important role in AD pathogenesis. Unlike neurons, astrocytes are resistant to Aβ cytotoxicity, which may, in part, be related to their greater reliance on glycolytic metabolism. Here we show that, in cultures of human fetal astrocytes, pharmacological inhibition or molecular down-regulation of a main enzymatic regulator of glycolysis, 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-biphosphatase (PFKFB3), results in increased accumulation of Aβ within and around astrocytes and greater vulnerability of these cells to Aβ toxicity. We further investigated age-dependent changes in PFKFB3 and astrocytes in AD transgenic mice (TgCRND8) that overexpress human Aβ. Using a combination of Western blotting and immunohistochemistry, we identified an increase in glial fibrillary acidic protein expression in astrocytes that paralleled the escalation of the Aβ plaque burden in TgCRND8 mice in an age-dependent manner. Furthermore, PFKFB3 expression also demonstrated an increase in these mice, although at a later age (9 months) than GFAP and Aβ. Immunohistochemical staining showed significant reactive astrogliosis surrounding Aβ plaques with increased PFKFB3 activity in 12-month-old TgCRND8 mice, an age when AD pathology and behavioral deficits are fully manifested. These studies shed light on the unique bioenergetic mechanisms within astrocytes that may contribute to the development of AD pathology.

Mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM): A novel brain intercellular signaling molecule and microglial activator

Microglia are a subtype of the non-neuronal glial cells that participate in the immune responses of the central nervous system (CNS). Evidence suggests that microglial activation contributes to neuronal death in neurodegenerative diseases. Microglia can be activated by a variety of exogenous stimuli, including toxins or infectious agents, as well as by endogenous pathology-associated molecules such as α-synuclein in Parkinson’s disease or amyloid-β protein in Alzheimer’s disease. Studies suggest that some endogenous molecules, which do not have a pathological origin, can also activate microglia. Damage associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) are an example of such endogenous molecules. When released from damaged or dying cells, DAMPs can trigger microglial activation through specific receptors, generating an inflammatory response. Mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM) has recently been implicated as a possible DAMP that is detected by peripheral immune cells. However, the effects of extracellular TFAM on CNS glial and neuronal cells have not been explored. Our study implicates TFAM as an activator of human peripheral blood monocytes, human THP-1 monocytic cells and human primary microglia isolated from adult brain tissues. Interaction of TFAM with these cell types leads to induction of pro-inflammatory cytokines and cytotoxic secretions, which may contribute to neuronal death. In this brief review, we describe endogenous signaling molecules capable of microglial activation with a specific focus on the potential involvement of TFAM. Elucidating the role of endogenous intercellular signaling molecules, such as TFAM, in CNS cell communication could expand the fundamental knowledge of glial-neuronal cell interactions and provide new insights into the mechanisms underlying glial cell activation. Such studies could facilitate the identification of novel therapeutic targets for a variety of pathologies that involve sterile neuroinflammatory processes.

Proteome of brain glia: The molecular basis of diverse glial phenotypes

Several different types of nonneuronal glial cells with diverse phenotypes are present in the CNS, and all have distinct indispensible functions. Although glial cells primarily provide neurons with metabolic and structural support in the healthy brain, they may switch phenotype from a "resting" to a "reactive" state in response to pathological insults. Furthermore, this reactive gliosis is an invariant feature of the pathogeneses of CNS maladies. The glial proteome serves as a signature of glial phenotype, and not only executes physiological functions, but also acts as a molecular mediator of the reactive glial phenotype. The glial proteome is also involved in intra- and intercellular communications as exemplified by glia-glia and neuron-glia interactions. The utilization of authoritative proteomic tools and the bioinformatic analyses have helped to profile the brain glial proteome and explore the molecular mechanisms of diverse glial phenotypes. Furthermore, technologic innovations have equipped the field of "glioproteomics" with refined tools for studies of the expression, interaction, and function of glial proteins in the healthy and in the diseased CNS. Glioproteomics is expected to contribute to the elucidation of the molecular mechanisms of CNS pathophysiology and to the discovery of biomarkers and theragnostic targets in CNS disorders.

Determinants of regional and local diversity within the astroglial lineage of the normal central nervous system

Astrocytes are a major component of the resident non-neuronal glial cell population of the CNS. They are ubiquitously distributed throughout the brain and spinal cord, where they were initially thought to function in both structural and homeostatic capacities, providing the framework and environment in which neurons performed their parenchymal duties. However, this stroma-like view of astrocytes is no longer satisfactory. Mounting evidence particularly within the last decade indicates that astrocytes do not simply support neuronal activity but directly contribute to it. Congruent with this evolving view of astrocyte function in information processing is the emergent notion that these glial cells are not a homogeneous population of cells. Thus, astrocytes in various anatomically distinct regions of the normal CNS possess unique phenotypic characteristics that may directly influence the particular neuronal activities that define these regions. Remarkably, regional populations of astrocytes appear to exhibit local heterogeneity as well. Many phenotypic traits of the astrocyte lineage are responsive to local environmental cues (i.e., are adaptable), suggesting that plasticity contributes to this diversity. However, compelling evidence suggests that astrocytes arise from multiple distinct progenitor pools in the developing CNS, raising the intriguing possibility that some astrocyte heterogeneity may result from intrinsic differences between these progenitors. The purpose of this review is to explore the evidence for and mechanistic determinants of regional and local astrocyte diversity.

Neuroprotection by estrogen in the brain: the mitochondrial compartment as presumed therapeutic target

Neuroprotection by estrogen in the CNS is well-documented and comprises the intricate regulation of cell-cell communication between neurons and supportive non-neuronal glial cells. It is assumed that these interactions are essential for cell survival under pathological and toxic conditions by regulating the allocation of trophic molecules, e.g., growth factors, controlling relevant intracellular anti-apoptotic and death cascades, and attenuating inflammatory processes. Malfunction and disturbance of mitochondria are doubtlessly associated with brain cell degeneration during neurotoxic and neurodegenerative processes. Estrogen has been documented as protective agent in the brain by stimulating growth factor supply and cell-intrinsic pro-/anti-apoptotic signaling pathways. In recent years, an additional estrogen-dependent safe-guarding strategy comes into the focus of neuronal protection. The mitochondrial compartment appears to be regulated by estrogen at the level of ATP and reactive oxygen species production as well as under a structural-functional viewpoint. In the present article, we would like to highlight recent data which demonstrate that sex steroids can directly and indirectly interfere with mitochondrial properties via non-nuclear, presumably mitochondria-intrinsic and nuclear signaling mechanisms. This enables mitochondria to cope with pathological processes and provide stabile local energy homeostasis and an anti-apoptotic base setting in the brain which, in turn, is a prerequisite for neuronal survival.

Potentiation of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)-associated TDP-43 Aggregation by the Proteasome-targeting Factor, Ubiquilin 1

TDP-43 (43-kDa TAR DNA-binding domain protein) is a major constituent of ubiquitin-positive cytoplasmic aggregates present in neurons of patients with fronto-temporal lobular dementia and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The pathologic significance of TDP-43 aggregation is not known; however, dominant mutations in TDP-43 cause a subset of ALS cases, suggesting that misfolding and/or altered trafficking of TDP-43 is relevant to the disease process. Here, we show that the presenilin-binding protein ubiquilin 1 (UBQLN) plays a role in TDP-43 aggregation. TDP-43 interacted with UBQLN both in yeast and in vitro, and the carboxyl-terminal ubiquitin-associated domain of UBQLN was both necessary and sufficient for binding to polyubiquitylated forms of TDP-43. Overexpression of UBQLN recruited TDP-43 to detergent-resistant cytoplasmic aggregates that colocalized with the autophagosomal marker, LC3. UBQLN-dependent aggregation required the UBQLN UBA domain, was mediated by non-overlapping regions of TDP-43, and was abrogated by a mutation in UBQLN previously linked to Alzheimer disease. Four ALS-associated alleles of TDP-43 also coaggregated with UBQLN, and the extent of aggregation correlated with in vitro UBQLN binding affinity. Our findings suggest that UBQLN is a polyubiquitin-TDP-43 cochaperone that mediates the autophagosomal delivery and/or proteasome targeting of TDP-43 aggregates.

Glial cells as intrinsic components of non-cell-autonomous neurodegenerative disease

A lesson from dominantly inherited forms of diverse neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, spinocerebellar ataxia and Huntington's disease, is that the selective dysfunction or death of the neuronal population most at risk in each disease is not mediated solely by damage from the mutant protein within the target neurons. The disease-causing toxic process, which in each case is caused by mutation in a gene that is widely or ubiquitously expressed, involves damage done by mutant proteins within the non-neuronal glial cells of the central nervous system, especially astrocytes and microglia. The disease mechanism is non-cell-autonomous, with toxicity derived from glia as a prominent contributor driving disease progression and in some instances even disease initiation.

Steroid modulation of astrocytes in the neonatal brain: implications for adult reproductive function.

There is a growing appreciation for the importance of astrocytes, a type of nonneuronal glial cell, to overall brain functioning. The ability of astrocytes to respond to gonadal steroid hormones with changes in morphology has been well documented in the adult brain. It is also apparent that astrocytes of the developing brain are permanently differentiated by the neonatal hormonal milieu, in particular by estradiol, resulting in sexually dimorphic cell morphology, synaptic patterning, and density in males and females. The mechanisms of hormonally mediated astrocyte differentiation are likely to be region specific. In the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus, neuron-to-astrocyte signaling appears to play a critical role in estradiol-induced astrocyte differentiation during the first few days of life. Gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) is an amino acid neurotransmitter that is synthesized and released exclusively by neurons. The levels of GABA are increased in the arcuate nucleus of neonatal males versus females. Preventing the increase in males or mimicking GABA action in females modulates astrocytes accordingly. Speculation about and evidence in support of the functional significance of this dimorphism to adult reproductive functioning is the topic of this review.

Neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor expression by O2A/oligodendrocyte progenitor cells

Oligodendrocyte precursor cells (O2A/OPC, A2B5+) were examined for expression of neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR). RT-PCR analysis and immunocytochemistry of O2A/OPCs purified from the rat corpus collusum revealed the expression of nAChR subunits α3, α4, α5, α7, β2, and β4. Immunoreactivity toward nAChR subunits was not detected in cells induced to differentiate into either oligodendrocytes or astrocytes. Approximately 65% of O2A/OPCs loaded with the calcium-responsive dye FURA-2 increased their intracellular free calcium in response to nicotine application. This response was sensitive to the nAChRα4/β2 antagonist, dihydro-β-erythroidine (DHβE), and the voltage-gated calcium channel antagonist, nifedipine. A subset of nicotine-responsive cells (37%) established DHβE or nifedipine-sensitive intracellular free calcium oscillations that continued in the presence of nicotine. Typical oscillations occurred at intervals of 20 to 30 s with progressively diminished amplitudes over a period of 2 to 3 min. In rare cases, oscillations persisted for as long as 10 min. O2A/OPCs exposed to carbachol or AMPA produced no oscillations despite robust increases in intracellular free calcium. The expression of nAChRs in non-neuronal glial precursor cells suggests an expanded role for this receptor system in the development of the mammalian brain. GLIA 33:306–313, 2001. Published 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor expression by O2A/oligodendrocyte progenitor cells

Oligodendrocyte precursor cells (O2A/OPC, A2B5(+)) were examined for expression of neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR). RT-PCR analysis and immunocytochemistry of O2A/OPCs purified from the rat corpus collusum revealed the expression of nAChR subunits alpha3, alpha4, alpha5, alpha7, beta2, and beta4. Immunoreactivity toward nAChR subunits was not detected in cells induced to differentiate into either oligodendrocytes or astrocytes. Approximately 65% of O2A/OPCs loaded with the calcium-responsive dye FURA-2 increased their intracellular free calcium in response to nicotine application. This response was sensitive to the nAChRalpha4/beta2 antagonist, dihydro-beta-erythroidine (DHbetaE), and the voltage-gated calcium channel antagonist, nifedipine. A subset of nicotine-responsive cells (37%) established DHbetaE or nifedipine-sensitive intracellular free calcium oscillations that continued in the presence of nicotine. Typical oscillations occurred at intervals of 20 to 30 s with progressively diminished amplitudes over a period of 2 to 3 min. In rare cases, oscillations persisted for as long as 10 min. O2A/OPCs exposed to carbachol or AMPA produced no oscillations despite robust increases in intracellular free calcium. The expression of nAChRs in non-neuronal glial precursor cells suggests an expanded role for this receptor system in the development of the mammalian brain. GLIA 33:306-313, 2001. Published 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Low stringency hybridization study of the dopamine D4 receptor revealed D4-like mRNA distribution of the orphan seven-transmembrane receptor, APJ, in human brain

We recently reported that the density of mRNA for the dopamine D4 receptor was extremely low in human cerebral cortex but unexpectedly higher in the corpus callosum and spinal cord both of which contain substantial white-matter area. Under low stringency conditions, Northern blot analysis using the D4 probe detected cross-hybridized mRNAs having a similar distributional profile to the D4 mRNA in human brain regions, suggesting the mRNA distributional profile is not peculiar to the D4 receptor. Homology screening revealed one of the mRNAs to be an orphan seven-transmembrane receptor, APJ, abundantly expressed in the corpus callosum and spinal cord. In porcine spinal cord the APJ mRNA was detected at a higher level in white-matter rather than in gray-matter area. These data suggest that a group of seven-transmembrane receptors, including the D4 and AN receptor, is preferentially expressed in the white-matter area probably in non-neuronal glial cells.

MPP+ toxicity in rat striatal slices: relationship between non-selective effects and free radical production.

Incubations of rat striatal slices have been used to assay MPP+ neurotoxicity. MPP+, at concentrations of 1 mM or higher, caused a marked increase in hydroxyl radicals, measured as malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulation, but not in nitric oxide production. At these doses, MPP+ showed an effect on dopamine terminals, causing a massive dopamine decrease, and on non-neuronal glial cells, where a marked reduction in glutamine synthetase activity was detected. At lower concentrations (25 mu M), the toxic effect on dopaminergic endings was maintained without increasing malondialdehyde concentrations or inhibiting glutamine synthetase activity. The effect on glutamine synthetase was prevented by the addition to the medium of 0.5% dimethyl sulfoxide, a hydroxyl-radical scavenger, but this did not protect the effect of dopamine depletion. We propose that non-selective effects of MPP+, at doses of 1 mM or higher, are mediated by extracellular overproduction of hydroxyl radicals. The main factor responsible for this overproduction would not be the released dopamine but rather the MPP+ itself through non selective inhibition of the mitochondrial respiratory chain or through a redox cycling that can trigger oxygen radical production.

Localization and functional coupling of HGF and c-Met/HGF receptor in rat brain: implication as neurotrophic factor

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), a natural ligand for the c-met protooncogene product, has mitogenic, motogenic and morphogenic activities for various cell types and functions as a organotrophic factor for regeneration of the liver, kidney and lung. We obtained evidence that HGF may function as a novel neurotrophic factor in the central nervous system. Northern blot analysis showed that 6 kb HGF mRNA and 9 kb c-Met/HGF receptor mRNA are expressed in various regions of the adult rat brain. In situ hybridization analysis revealed that intense hybridization signals for HGF mRNA were localized in cerebral cortex, hippocampus and amygdala. Consistently, specific localization of HGF protein in neurons of these regions was detected by immunohistochemical analysis and non-neuronal glial cells in cingulum, cerebellum, pons and medulla were also specifically stained. Specific intense hybridization signals for c-Met/HGF receptor mRNA were also widely distributed in the brain, including neurons of olfactory bulb, cerebral cortex, primary olfactory cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum. On the basis of the co-expression of HGF and c-Met/HGF receptor in hippocampal neurons, we found that HGF prolonged survival of embryonic hippocampal neurons in primary culture: HGF elicited maximal surviving effect at 0.5-1 ng/ml and the potency was comparable to that of nerve growth factor. More importantly, expression of both HGF and c-Met/HGF receptor mRNAs was markedly induced in response to cerebral ischemic injury. We propose that HGF functions as a neurotrophic factor in the central nervous system and that this neurotrophic function may have a role in the survival and reconstruction of specific neurons in response to cerebral injury.

Chronic nicotine treatment counteracts nigral cell loss induced by a partial mesodiencephalic hemitransection: An analysis of the total number and mean volume of neurons and glia in substantia nigra of the male rat

This study combines immunocytochemical and stereological methods for the first time to obtain unbiased estimates of the number of cells in the entire substantia nigra and their respective mean volume. Nicotine, delivered by subcutaneously implanted osmotic pumps (0.125mg/kg/h, 14 days) to male Sprague-Dawley rats with a partial unilateral mesodiencephalic lesion, caused a significant counteraction of the lesion-induced reduction in total number of nigral tyrosine hydroxylase-like immunoreactive neurons counterstained with Cresyl Violet compared with saline treated control animals. The number of Nissl stained neurons without tyrosine hydroxylase-like immunoreactivity was not affected by the lesion nor by nicotine. The numbers of non-neuronal glial fibrillary acidic protein-like immunoreactive cells counterstained with Cresyl Violet and smaller cells seen after Cresyl Violet staining alone, possibly representing microglia, were increased by the lesion but not affected by nicotine. No nicotine-induced effects were found on the number of nigral cells located contralateral to the lesion. The lesion-induced reduction in the mean volume of the nigral cells showing tyrosine hydroxylase-like immunoreactivity, as determined with the stereological rotator method, was not affected by nicotine. These findings suggest that continuous nicotine infusion exerts protective effects on lesioned nigroneostriatal dopamine systems and that these protective effects are selective for the nigral dopamine neurons not affecting other populations of neurons or non-neuronal cells. This neuroprotective effect might lead to new therapeutic strategies in clinical neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's Disease.

Characteristics of fish glial cells in culture: possible implications as to their lineage.

Regeneration of injured central nervous system axons is largely dependent on the response of the associated nonneuronal glial cells to injury. Glial cells of the mammalian central nervous system, unlike those of fish, are apparently not conducive to axonal regeneration. While the lineage of rat glial cells is well characterized and its role in the support or inhibition of regenerative growth is beginning to be understood, little is known about fish glial cells. Accordingly, glial cells in cultures of adult goldfish brain and of newly hatched goldfish larvae were studied in an attempt to establish their lineage. The cells were identified by means of indirect immunofluorescence, using antibodies against fish astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. The cell count in the cultures increased from a small number of cells at 24 h after plating to a large number of both astrocytes and oligodendrocytes after 1 week in culture. Both of these cell types had originated from proliferating cells, as shown by their uptake of tritiated thymidine and by the inhibition of cell proliferation by 5-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine. Both astrocytes, i.e., glial fibrillary acidic protein-positive cells, and oligodendrocytes, i.e., 6D2-positive cells, were positively labeled also by A2B5 antibodies, which are known to label progenitors of type-2 astrocytes and oligodendrocytes in the rat optic nerve. The results suggest that A2B5 positive progenitor cells in the goldfish central nervous system, as in the rat optic nerve, might be a common progenitor of astrocytes and oligodendrocytes.