Cell intrinsic mechanisms regulate mouse cerebellar granule neuron differentiation.
Cerebellar granule cells isolated from postnatal day 7 mice, and cultured in minimal medium containing only insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), both survive and differentiate. This differentiation is marked by neurite growth and expression of genes associated with terminal differentiation, the myocyte-specific enhancer factor 2A (MEF2A) and the alpha 6 subunit of the gamma-aminobutyric acidA receptor (GABAA alpha 6). Percoll gradient purified granule cells maintained without IGF-I, in minimal medium alone or in medium containing the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC), also express MEF2A and GABAA alpha 6. Thus, cultured granule neurons can differentiate to some extent cell-autonomously and IGF-I may not be a critical factor for this process.
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Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore 21201, USA.
Bulleit
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D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D015870:Gene Expression; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000494:pharmacology; D064326:MEF2 Transcription Factors; D051379:Mice; D018006:Myogenic Regulatory Factors; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A / Q000235:genetics*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D064326:MEF2 Transcription Factors; C578036:Mef2a protein, mouse; D018006:Myogenic Regulatory Factors; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A; D014157:Transcription Factors; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D000111:Acetylcysteine