BMP-induced REST regulates the establishment and maintenance of astrocytic identity.
Once they have differentiated, cells retain their individual character and repress genes that are specifically expressed in other cell lineages, but how alternative fate choice is restricted during and/or after differentiation remains unclear. In the mammalian central nervous system, neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes are generated throughout life from common tripotent neural progenitor cells (NPCs). Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are well-known astrocyte-inducing cytokines. We show here that the expression of a transcriptional repressor, RE1 silencer of transcription (REST)/neuron-restrictive silencer factor (NRSF), is up-regulated and sustained by BMP signal activation in the course of astrocytic differentiation of NPCs, and restricts neuronal differentiation. We further show that, in differentiated astrocytes, endogenous REST/NRSF associates with various neuronal genes and that disruption of its function resulted in their derepression, thereby explaining how ectopic neuronal gene expression is prevented in cells with astrocytic traits. Collectively, our results suggest that REST/NRSF functions as a molecular regulator of the nonneuronal phenotype in astrocytes.
Kohyama
Jun
J
Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Nara 630-0101, Japan.
Sanosaka
Tsukasa
T
Tokunaga
Akinori
A
Takatsuka
Eriko
E
Tsujimura
Keita
K
Okano
Hideyuki
H
Nakashima
Kinichi
K
D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D015854:Up-Regulation; D000099229:RE1-Silencing Transcription Factor
D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D000099229:RE1-Silencing Transcription Factor