A mesenchymal-like ZEB1(+) niche harbors dorsal radial glial fibrillary acidic protein-positive stem cells in the spinal cord

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Item Type:	Article
Title:	A mesenchymal-like ZEB1(+) niche harbors dorsal radial glial fibrillary acidic protein-positive stem cells in the spinal cord
Creators Name:	Sabourin, J., Ackema, K., Ohayon, D., Guichet, P., Perrin, F., Garces, A., Ripoll, C., Charite, J., Simonneau, L., Kettenmann, H., Zine, A., Privat, A., Valmier, J., Pattyn, A. and Hugnot, J.
Abstract:	In man and rodents the adult spinal cord harbours neural stem cells located around the central canal. Their identity, precise location and specific signaling are still ill-defined and controversial. We report here on a detailed analysis of this niche. Using microdissection and GFAP-GFP transgenic mice, we demonstrate that neural stem cells are mostly dorsally-located GFAP(+) cells lying ependymally and subependymally, which extend radial processes toward the pial surface. The niche also harbours Dcx(+) Nkx6.1(+) neurons sending processes into the lumen. Cervical and lumbar spinal cord neural stem cells maintain expression of specific rostro-caudal Hox gene combinations and the niche shows high levels of signaling proteins (CD15, Jagged1, Hes1, DAN). More surprisingly, the niche displays mesenchymal traits like expression of epithelial-mesenchymal-transition Zeb1 transcription factor and smooth muscle actin. We found Zeb1 to be essential for neural stem cell survival in vitro. Proliferation within the niche progressively ceases around 13 weeks when the spinal cord reaches its final size, suggesting an active role in postnatal development. In addition to hippocampus and subventricular zone niches, adult spinal cord constitutes a third central nervous system stem cell niche with specific signaling, cellular and structural characteristics that could possibly be manipulated to alleviate spinal cord traumatic and degenerative diseases.
Keywords:	Neural Stem Cells, Spinal Cord, Niche, ZEB1, Animals, Mice
Source:	Stem Cells
ISSN:	1066-5099
Publisher:	AlphaMed Press
Volume:	27
Number:	11
Page Range:	2722-2733
Date:	November 2009
Official Publication:	https://doi.org/10.1002/stem.226
PubMed:	View item in PubMed

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