The regulation of neural stem cells niche by the soluble molecule secreted from the blood vessel

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project Area: Vasculo-neural wiring and their interdependent crosstalk
• Project/Area Number: 22122009
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas (Research in a proposed research area)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Review Section: Biological Sciences
• Research Institution: Kumamoto University
• Principal Investigator: OHTA KUNIMASA 熊本大学, 大学院生命科学研究部, 准教授 (90244128)
• Project Period (FY): 2010-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: Tsukushi / niche / neuron / blood vessel

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We found that Tsukushi is expressed in the subventricular zone (SVZ) in the lateral ventricles (LV). In the Tsukushi KO mouse brain, both the cell proliferation and the cell death in the SVZ were increase compared to those of the wild type brain.
To examine the involvement of Tsukushi protein for niche regulation, we generated the transgenic mice that express the Tsukushi protein. When Tsukushi protein was produced at the SVZ, the expansion of LV was rescued. We used cre-loxp system to specifically delete Tsukushi gene in the SVZ area. When we use SM22-cre mouse, the LV expansion was observed but not with Tie2-cre mouse. We also examined the deletion of Tsukushi gene in the nervous system and found that both the nestin-cre and sox2-cre mice did not show the LV expansion. We are now preparing FOXJ1-cre mouse, which is specifically expressed ependymal cells. Our data suggested that Tsukushi functions as a niche molecule for the regulation of neural stem/progenitor cells.

Free Research Field

生物学