title: Wnts Are Expressed in the Ependymal Region of the Adult Spinal Cord.
abstract: The Wnt family of proteins plays key roles during central nervous system development and in several physiological processes during adulthood. Recently, experimental evidence has linked Wnt-related genes to regulation and maintenance of stem cells in the adult neurogenic niches. In the spinal cord, the ependymal cells surrounding the central canal form one of those niches, but little is known about their Wnt expression patterns. Using microdissection followed by TaqMan® low-density arrays, we show here that the ependymal regions of young, mature rats and adult humans express several Wnt-related genes, including ligands, conventional and non-conventional receptors, co-receptors, and soluble inhibitors. We found 13 genes shared between rats and humans, 4 exclusively expressed in rats and 9 expressed only in humans. Also, we observed a reduction with age on spontaneous proliferation of ependymal cells in rats paralleled by a decrease in the expression of Fzd1, Fzd8, and Fzd9. Our results suggest a role for Wnts in the regulation of the adult spinal cord neurogenic niche and provide new data on the specific differences in this region between humans and rodents.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Neurology, Hospital Nacional de Paraplejicos (SESCAM), Finca La Peraleda s/n, 45071, Toledo, Spain.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gonzalez-Fernandez
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neuroinflammation, Hospital Nacional de Paraplejicos (SESCAM), Finca La Peraleda s/n, 45071, Toledo, Spain.
authors.forename: Angel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arevalo-Martin
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neuroinflammation, Hospital Nacional de Paraplejicos (SESCAM), Finca La Peraleda s/n, 45071, Toledo, Spain.
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Paniagua-Torija
authors.affiliation: Institut de Neuropatologia, Serveid'AnatomiaPatològica, IDIBELL-Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, Universitat de Barcelona, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain.
authors.forename: Isidro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ferrer
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Neurology, Hospital Nacional de Paraplejicos (SESCAM), Finca La Peraleda s/n, 45071, Toledo, Spain. fjrodriguez@sescam.jccm.es.
authors.forename: Francisco J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neuroinflammation, Hospital Nacional de Paraplejicos (SESCAM), Finca La Peraleda s/n, 45071, Toledo, Spain. dgarciao@sescam.jccm.es.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7479-5104
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Garcia-Ovejero
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000502:physiology; D004805:Ependyma / Q000378:metabolism*; D051157:Frizzled Receptors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C489740:FZD1 protein, human; C549560:FZD9 protein, human; D051157:Frizzled Receptors; C529739:Fzd8 protein, human; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface
keywords: Ependymal; Fzd; Neural stem cell; Spinal cord; Wnt