title: Multiple routes to astrocytic differentiation in the CNS.
abstract: Ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) acts instructively to switch multipotent stem cells of the CNS to an astrocytic fate. Here we show that CNTF causes activation of janus kinase-signal transducers and activators of transcription and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways with differential kinetics in these cells. Inhibition studies indicate that activation of the MAPK pathway is required early in the differentiation process, whereas activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) proteins is required for commitment to an astrocytic fate. Bone morphogenetic proteins have also been shown to cause astrocytic differentiation but do not cause STAT activation or astrocytic differentiation in fibroblast growth factor 2-expanded fetal stem cells used here. These results show that there are two distinct routes to initiate astrocytic commitment in multipotent CNS precursors.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-4157, USA.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rajan
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: McKay
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000201:enzymology*; D055415:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000166:cytology*; D020934:Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000494:pharmacology; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000494:pharmacology; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000235:genetics; D053613:Janus Kinase 1; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000494:pharmacology; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D050794:STAT1 Transcription Factor; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C525811:Bmp4 protein, rat; D055415:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins; D020934:Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D005419:Flavonoids; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D050794:STAT1 Transcription Factor; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; C494088:Stat3 protein, rat; D015534:Trans-Activators; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; D011494:Protein Kinases; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; C507906:Jak1 protein, rat; D053613:Janus Kinase 1; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases; C093973:2-(2-amino-3-methoxyphenyl)-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one