title: 3' UTR-dependent, miR-92-mediated restriction of Tis21 expression maintains asymmetric neural stem cell division to ensure proper neocortex size.
abstract: Mammalian neocortex size primarily reflects the number and mode of divisions of neural stem and progenitor cells. Cortical stem cells (apical progenitors) switching from symmetric divisions, which expand their population, to asymmetric divisions, which generate downstream neuronal progenitors (basal progenitors), start expressing Tis21, a so-called antiproliferative/prodifferentiative gene. Tis21 encodes a small (17.5 kDa), functionally poorly characterized protein and a relatively large (2 kb), highly conserved 3' UTR. Here, we show that mice lacking the Tis21 3' UTR develop a microcephalic neocortex with fewer neurons, notably in the upper layers. This reflects a progressive decrease in basal progenitors, which in turn is due to a fraction of apical progenitors prematurely switching from asymmetric self-renewing to symmetric self-consuming divisions. This switch is caused by the markedly increased Tis21 protein level resulting from lack of microRNA-, notably miR-92-, dependent restriction of Tis21 expression. Our data show that a premature onset of consumptive neural stem cell divisions can lead to microcephaly.
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Pfotenhauerstrasse 108, 01307 Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Ji-Feng
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Fei
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Pfotenhauerstrasse 108, 01307 Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Christiane
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Haffner
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Pfotenhauerstrasse 108, 01307 Dresden, Germany. Electronic address: huttner@mpi-cbg.de.
authors.forename: Wieland B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Huttner
mesh_terms: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; D000818:Animals; D060049:Asymmetric Cell Division; D015536:Down-Regulation; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008831:Microcephaly / Q000235:genetics; D019579:Neocortex / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D058953:Neural Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D055495:Neurogenesis; D009929:Organ Size; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; C489435:Btg2 protein, mouse; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins; D035683:MicroRNAs; C541873:Mirn92 microRNA, mouse; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins