Mammalian achaete scute homolog 2 is expressed in the adult sciatic nerve and regulates the expression of Krox24, Mob-1, CXCR4, and p57kip2 in Schwann cells.
The molecular control mechanisms and regulatory molecules involved in nerve repair are not yet well known. Schwann cells have been attributed an important role in peripheral nerve regeneration; therefore, attention has been drawn to regulatory factors expressed by these glial cells. Here, we demonstrate that Mash2, a basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor previously shown to be crucial for placenta development, is expressed by Schwann cells of adult peripheral nerves. We observed that this gene is downregulated after nerve lesion and, using cDNA array hybridization technology, we could demonstrate that Mash2 is a regulator of Krox24, Mob-1, and CXCR4 expression in cultured Schwann cells. In addition, we provide strong evidence that Mash2 is a negative regulator of Schwann cell proliferation. Mash2 represents a first candidate for the missing class B bHLH proteins in peripheral nerves.
Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Department of Neurology, Heinrich-Heine University of Düsseldorf, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany. kuery@uni-duesseldorf.de
Patrick
P
Küry
Regine
R
Greiner-Petter
Christiane
C
Cornely
Tim
T
Jürgens
Hans Werner
HW
Müller
D000818:Animals; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D054357:Chemokine CXCL10; D019743:Chemokines, CXC; D050761:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p57; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D015536:Down-Regulation; D051766:Early Growth Response Protein 1; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D019718:Receptors, CXCR4 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012583:Schwann Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D020426:Sciatic Neuropathy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D054357:Chemokine CXCL10; D019743:Chemokines, CXC; D050761:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p57; D016207:Cytokines; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D051766:Early Growth Response Protein 1; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D019718:Receptors, CXCR4; D014157:Transcription Factors; C489312:Ascl2 protein, rat; C114753:CXCL10 protein, human; C091326:Cxcl10 protein, rat; C486110:Egr1 protein, rat