title: Delta-Notch signaling regulates oligodendrocyte specification.
abstract: Oligodendrocytes, the myelinating cell type of the central nervous system, arise from a ventral population of precursors that also produces motoneurons. Although the mechanisms that specify motoneuron development are well described, the mechanisms that generate oligodendrocytes from the same precursor population are largely unknown. By analysing mutant zebrafish embryos, we found that Delta-Notch signaling is required for spinal cord oligodendrocyte specification. Using a transgenic, conditional expression system, we also learned that constitutive Notch activity could promote formation of excess oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs). However, excess OPCs are induced only in ventral spinal cord at the time that OPCs normally develop. Our data provide evidence that Notch signaling maintains subsets of ventral spinal cord precursors during neuronal birth and, acting with other temporally and spatially restricted factors, specifies them for oligodendrocyte fate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA.
authors.forename: Hae-Chul
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Bruce
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Appel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D019070:Cell Lineage; D018257:Helix-Loop-Helix Motifs; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006358:Hot Temperature; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D000076104:Oligodendrocyte Transcription Factor 2; D009836:Oligodendroglia / Q000502:physiology*; D051880:Receptors, Notch; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D000076104:Oligodendrocyte Transcription Factor 2; D051880:Receptors, Notch; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014157:Transcription Factors; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins; C064045:delta protein; C486337:neurog1 protein, zebrafish; C465361:olig2 protein, zebrafish