title: Vitronectin promotes the progress of the initial differentiation stage in cerebellar granule cells.
abstract: Vitronectin (VN), which is an extracellular matrix protein, is known to be involved in the proliferation and differentiation of primary cultured cerebellar granule cell precursors (CGCPs); however, the effect of VN is not fully understood. In this study, we analyzed the effects of VN loss on the proliferation and differentiation of CGCPs in VN knockout (VNKO) mice in vivo. First, immunohistochemistry showed that VN was distributed in the region from the inner external granule layer (iEGL) through the internal granule layer (IGL) in wild-type (WT) mice. Next, we observed the formation of the cerebellar cortex using sagittal sections of VNKO mice at postnatal days (P) 5, 8 and 11. Loss of VN suppressed the ratio of NeuN, a neuronal differentiation marker, to positive cerebellar granule cells (CGCs) in the external granule layer (EGL) and the ratio of CGCs in the IGL at P8, indicating that the loss of VN suppresses the differentiation into CGCs. However, the loss of VN did not significantly affect the proliferation of CGCPs. Next, the effect of VN loss on the initial differentiation stage of CGCPs was examined. The loss of VN increased the expression levels of Transient axonal glycoprotein 1 (TAG1), a marker of neurons in the initial differentiation stage, in the cerebella of VNKO mice at P5 and 8 and increased the ratio of TAG1-positive cells in the primary culture of VNKO-derived CGCPs, indicating that the loss of VN accumulates the CGCPs in the initial differentiation stage. Taken together, these results demonstrate that VN promotes the progress of the initial differentiation stage of CGCPs.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Humanities and Sciences, Ochanomizu University, Otsuka 2-1-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112-8610, Japan.
authors.forename: Kei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Humanities and Sciences, Ochanomizu University, Otsuka 2-1-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112-8610, Japan.
authors.forename: Fumi
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sakane
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Humanities and Sciences, Ochanomizu University, Otsuka 2-1-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112-8610, Japan.
authors.forename: Natsumi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ikeda
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Humanities and Sciences, Ochanomizu University, Otsuka 2-1-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112-8610, Japan.
authors.forename: Ayumi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Akiyama
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Humanities and Sciences, Ochanomizu University, Otsuka 2-1-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112-8610, Japan.
authors.forename: Miyaka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sugahara
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Humanities and Sciences, Ochanomizu University, Otsuka 2-1-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112-8610, Japan. Electronic address: miyamoto.yasunori@ocha.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Yasunori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miyamoto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000502:physiology; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D058969:Contactin 2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D019096:Vitronectin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D058969:Contactin 2; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C492380:NeuN protein, mouse; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D019096:Vitronectin
keywords: Cerebellar granule cell; Development of the cerebellum; Differentiation; Migration; Vitronectin