title: Autophagy induced by the withdrawal of mitogens promotes neurite extension in rat neural stem cells.
abstract: Neural stem cells (NSCs) are usually affected by a number of biological functions in neural traumatic and degenerative diseases. Autophagy may be involved in these diseases. However, whether autophagy could affect NSCs is largely unknown. Therefore, we aimed to investigate intracellular microstructures, proliferation, axon extension, and Beclin-1 expression of rat NSCs by basic culture medium and conditioned medium without epidermal growth factor (EGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). Transmission electron microscopy showed the formation of autophagic vacuoles in conditioned medium. Compared to the control group with normal medium, the number of secondary neurosphere was significantly reduced whereas the expression of Beclin-1 was enhanced. The majority of NSCs were nestin-positive when EGF/bFGF was withdrawn for 3 days and showed enhanced neurite extension, which was suppressed by autophagy antagonist 3-methyladenine. Our findings revealed that a short-term paucity of mitogens in microenvironments could induce autophagy of NSCs, which facilitated NSCs' axonal growth.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Pathobiology, Norman Bethune Medical College, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Ye
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Xiaowei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Tingting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jiateng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.forename: Liankun
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Jiamei
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000225:Adenine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D001343:Autophagy / Q000187:drug effects*; D001369:Axons / Q000378:metabolism; D000071186:Beclin-1; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D008934:Mitogens / Q000494:pharmacology*; D058953:Neural Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D016501:Neurites / Q000378:metabolism*; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D000071186:Beclin-1; C512829:Becn1 protein, rat; D008934:Mitogens; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; C025946:3-methyladenine; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; D000225:Adenine
keywords: Autophagy; Cell; Neuron