Expression profiling identifies a molecular signature of reactive astrocytes stimulated by cyclic AMP or proinflammatory cytokines.
Specialized glia, termed reactive astrocytes, accompany numerous pathologic conditions affecting the central nervous system, including stroke, multiple sclerosis, and neoplasia. To better define this important cell type, we employed high-density microarray gene expression profiling using two in vitro models of reactive gliosis (stimulation with dbcAMP or IL-1beta/IFNgamma). We identified 44 differentially expressed transcripts common to both in vitro models and demonstrated that a subset of these genes are also differentially expressed in response to experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis and focal cerebral ischemia in vivo. Moreover, this pattern of differential gene expression is not observed in hyperproliferating or neoplastic glia.
Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110, USA.
Girish C
GC
Daginakatte
Adam
A
Gadzinski
Ryan J
RJ
Emnett
Jennifer L
JL
Stark
Ernesto R
ER
Gonzales
Ping
P
Yan
Jin-Moo
JM
Lee
Anne H
AH
Cross
David H
DH
Gutmann
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000187:drug effects*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling / Q000379:methods*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL
D016207:Cytokines; D000242:Cyclic AMP