The potential to induce glial differentiation is conserved between Drosophila and mammalian glial cells missing genes.
Drosophila glial cells missing (gcm) is a key gene that determines the fate of stem cells within the nervous system. Two mouse gcm homologs have been identified, but their function in the nervous system remains to be elucidated. To investigate their function, we constructed retroviral vectors harboring Drosophila gcm and two mouse Gcm genes. Expression of these genes appeared to influence fibroblast features. In particular, mouse Gcm1 induced the expression of astrocyte-specific Ca(2+)-binding protein, S100beta, in those cells. Introduction of the mouse Gcm1 gene in cultured cells from embryonic brains resulted in the induction of an astrocyte lineage. This effect was also observed by in utero injection of retrovirus harboring mouse Gcm1 into the embryonic brain. However, cultures from mouse Gcm1-deficient mouse brains did not exhibit significant reductions in the number of astrocytes. Furthermore, in situ hybridization analysis of mouse Gcm1 mRNA revealed distinct patterns of expression in comparison with other well-known glial markers. The mammalian homolog of Drosophila gcm, mouse Gcm1, exhibits the potential to induce gliogenesis, but may function in the generation of a minor subpopulation of glial cells.
Division of Molecular Neurobiology, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan.
Yasuno
Y
Iwasaki
Toshihiko
T
Hosoya
Hirohide
H
Takebayashi
Yasuhiro
Y
Ogawa
Yoshiki
Y
Hotta
Kazuhiro
K
Ikenaka
D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D012190:Retroviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014157:Transcription Factors
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; C102805:GCM protein, Drosophila; C491089:GCM1 protein, human; C101631:Gcm1 protein, mouse; D009479:Neuropeptides; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014157:Transcription Factors