Paracrine Pax6 activity regulates oligodendrocyte precursor cell migration in the chick embryonic neural tube.
Homeoprotein transcription factors play fundamental roles in development, ranging from embryonic polarity to cell differentiation and migration. Research in recent years has underscored the physiological importance of homeoprotein intercellular transfer in eye field development, axon guidance and retino-tectal patterning, and visual cortex plasticity. Here, we have used the embryonic chick neural tube to investigate a possible role for homeoprotein Pax6 transfer in oligodendrocyte precursor cell (OPC) migration. We report the extracellular expression of Pax6 and the effects of gain and loss of extracellular Pax6 activity on OPCs. Open book cultures with recombinant Pax6 protein or Pax6 blocking antibodies, as well as in ovo gene transfer experiments involving expression of secreted Pax6 protein or secreted Pax6 antibodies, provide converging evidences that OPC migration is promoted by extracellular Pax6. The paracrine effect of Pax6 on OPC migration is thus a new example of direct non-cell autonomous homeoprotein activity.
Collège de France, Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology, 11 place Marcelin Berthelot, Paris F-75005, France.
Elizabeth
E
Di Lullo
Celine
C
Haton
Chantal
C
Le Poupon
Michel
M
Volovitch
Alain
A
Joliot
Jean-Leon
JL
Thomas
Alain
A
Prochiantz
D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D002642:Chick Embryo; D005110:Extracellular Space / Q000378:metabolism; D005136:Eye Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D054259:Neural Tube / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D009836:Oligodendroglia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D000071841:PAX6 Transcription Factor; D051761:Paired Box Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D019899:Paracrine Communication / Q000502:physiology; D021381:Protein Transport / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D014018:Tissue Distribution
D005136:Eye Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D000071841:PAX6 Transcription Factor; D051761:Paired Box Transcription Factors; D012097:Repressor Proteins