Insulin acts as a myogenic differentiation signal for neural stem cells with multilineage differentiation potential.
Reports of non-neural differentiation of neural stem cells (NSCs) have been challenged by alternative explanations for expanded differentiation potentials. In an attempt to demonstrate the plasticity of NSC, neurospheres were generated from single retrovirally labeled embryonic cortical precursors. In a defined serum-free insulin-containing media, 40% of the neurospheres contained both myogenic and neurogenic differentiated progeny. The number of NSCs displaying multilineage differentiation potential declines through gestation but does exist in the adult animal. In this system, insulin appears to function as a survival and dose-dependent myogenic differentiation signal for multilineage NSCs (MLNSC). MLNSC-derived cardiomyocytes contract synchronously, respond to sympathetic and parasympathetic stimulation, and regenerate injured heart tissues. These studies provide support for the hypothesis that MLNSCs exist throughout the lifetime of the animal, and potentially provide a population of stem cells for cell-based regenerative medicine strategies inside and outside of the nervous system.
The John P. Roberts Research Institute, 100 Perth Drive, London, ON, N6A 5K8, Canada.
Mahmud
M
Bani-Yaghoub
Stephen E
SE
Kendall
Daniel P
DP
Moore
Stephen
S
Bellum
Rebecca A
RA
Cowling
George N
GN
Nikopoulos
Chris J
CJ
Kubu
Calvin
C
Vary
Joseph M
JM
Verdi
D000818:Animals; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002460:Cell Line; D019070:Cell Lineage; D002470:Cell Survival; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004396:Coloring Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free / Q000494:pharmacology; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D012190:Retroviridae / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014162:Transfection
D004396:Coloring Agents; D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free; D007328:Insulin; D004247:DNA