Identification and characterization of a new regulator of astrocyte differentiation

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K06792
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Neurochemistry/Neuropharmacology
• Research Institution: National Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities
• Principal Investigator: Nagao Motoshi 国立障害者リハビリテーションセンター(研究所), 研究所 運動機能系障害研究部, 研究室長 (00359671)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 神経幹細胞 / グリア / アストロサイト / 転写因子

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Multipotent neural precursor cells (NPCs) generate astrocytes at late stages of mammalian neocortical development, but the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here I show that Zbtb20 regulates astrocyte specification in the mouse neocortex. Zbtb20 is highly expressed in late-stage NPCs and their astrocytic progeny. Overexpression and knockdown of Zbtb20 promote and suppress astrocytogenesis, respectively. Astrocyte induction by Zbtb20 is suppressed by knockdown of Sox9 or NFIA. Furthermore, in the astrocyte lineage, Zbtb20 directly represses the expression of Brn2, which encodes a protein necessary for upper-layer neuron specification. Zbtb20 is thus a key determinant of astrocytogenesis, in which it collaborates with Sox9 and NFIA and acts in part through direct repression of Brn2 expression.

Free Research Field

神経発生　幹細胞