Retinal astrocyte differentiation mediated by leukemia inhibitory factor in cooperation with bone morphogenetic protein 2.
Retinal astrocytes and their precursor cells migrate from the optic nerve. Interleukin 6 family cytokines, whose signal transduction requires gp130, promote astrocyte differentiation in the optic nerve, though the mechanism of astrocyte differentiation in the retina has not been clarified. We found that GFAP-positive astrocytes were significantly decreased in number but that a considerable number of astrocytes were still present in gp130-deficient mouse retina. These findings suggest that gp130-dependent signaling pathways play essential roles in retinal astrocyte differentiation and that retinal astrocyte differentiation can also be promoted by other signaling pathways. We found that leukemia inhibitory factor, bone morphogenetic proteins, and their receptors are expressed in P0 retina. In addition, leukemia inhibitory factor and bone morphogenetic protein 2 synergistically promote astrocyte differentiation of retinal precursor cells isolated from P0 mouse retina. These observations demonstrated that not only gp130-dependent signaling but also bone morphogenetic proteins play essential roles in retinal astrocyte differentiation.
Fukushima
Mikiko
M
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Kumamoto University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto 860-8556, Japan.
Setoguchi
Takao
T
Komiya
Setsuro
S
Tanihara
Hidenobu
H
Taga
Tetsuya
T
D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D055396:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D050822:Cytokine Receptor gp130 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D053605:Leukemia Inhibitory Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D012160:Retina / Q000166:cytology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology
D015415:Biomarkers; D055396:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D053605:Leukemia Inhibitory Factor; D050822:Cytokine Receptor gp130