Reactive glial cells: increased stiffness correlates with increased intermediate filament expression.
Increased stiffness of reactive glial cells may impede neurite growth and contribute to the poor regenerative capabilities of the mammalian central nervous system. We induced reactive gliosis in rodent retina by ischemia-reperfusion and assessed intermediate filament (IF) expression and the viscoelastic properties of dissociated single glial cells in wild-type mice, mice lacking glial fibrillary acidic protein and vimentin (GFAP(-/-)Vim(-/-)) in which glial cells are consequently devoid of IFs, and normal Long-Evans rats. In response to ischemia-reperfusion, glial cells stiffened significantly in wild-type mice and rats but were unchanged in GFAP(-/-)Vim(-/-) mice. Cell stiffness (elastic modulus) correlated with the density of IFs. These results support the hypothesis that rigid glial scars impair nerve regeneration and that IFs are important determinants of cellular viscoelasticity in reactive glia. Thus, therapeutic suppression of IF up-regulation in reactive glial cells may facilitate neuroregeneration.
Division of Soft Matter Physics, Department of Physics, and Paul Flechsig Institute of Brain Research, Universität Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
Yun-Bi
YB
Lu
Ianors
I
Iandiev
Margrit
M
Hollborn
Nicole
N
Körber
Elke
E
Ulbricht
Petra G
PG
Hirrlinger
Thomas
T
Pannicke
Er-Qing
EQ
Wei
Andreas
A
Bringmann
Hartwig
H
Wolburg
Ulrika
U
Wilhelmsson
Milos
M
Pekny
Peter
P
Wiedemann
Andreas
A
Reichenbach
Josef A
JA
Käs
D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D005911:Gliosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D007382:Intermediate Filaments / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D015427:Reperfusion Injury; D014746:Vimentin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D014746:Vimentin; C528900:glial fibrillary astrocytic protein, mouse