title: Magnesium Elevation Promotes Neuronal Differentiation While Suppressing Glial Differentiation of Primary Cultured Adult Mouse Neural Progenitor Cells through ERK/CREB Activation.
abstract: This study aimed to explore the influence of magnesium elevation on fate determination of adult neural progenitor cells (aNPCs) and the underlying mechanismin vitro. Adult neurogenesis, which is the generation of functional neurons from neural precursors, occurs throughout life in restricted anatomical regions in mammals. Magnesium is the fourth most abundant ion in mammals, and its elevation in the brain has been shown to enhance memory and synaptic plasticityin vivo. However, the effects of magnesium on fate determination of aNPCs, which are vital processes in neurogenesis, remain unknown. NPCs isolated from the dentate gyrus of adult C57/BL6 mice were induced to differentiate in a medium with varying magnesium concentrations (0.6, 0.8, and 1.0 mM) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) inhibitor PD0325901. The proportion of cells that differentiated into neurons and glial cells was evaluated using immunofluorescence. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot methods were used to determine the expression of β-III tubulin (Tuj1) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). The activation of ERK and cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) was examined by Western blot to reveal the underlying mechanism. Magnesium elevation increased the proportion of Tju1-positive cells and decreased the proportion of GFAP-positive cells. Also, the expression of Tuj1 was upregulated, whereas the expression of GFAP was downregulated. Moreover, magnesium elevation enhanced the activation of both ERK and CREB. Treatment with PD0325901 reversed these effects in a dose-dependent manner. Magnesium elevation promoted neural differentiation while suppressing glial cell differentiation, possibly via ERK-induced CREB activation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen UniversityGuangzhou, China; Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen UniversityGuangzhou, China; Laboratory of RNA and Major Diseases of Brain and Heart, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen UniversityGuangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Wang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Bengbu Medical College, The First Affiliated Hospital Bengbu, China.
authors.forename: Mujun
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Mei
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University Zhanjiang, China.
authors.forename: Congli
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Songhua
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Shengnuo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Wenli
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Yuqiu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen UniversityGuangzhou, China; Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen UniversityGuangzhou, China; Laboratory of RNA and Major Diseases of Brain and Heart, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen UniversityGuangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
keywords: adult neural progenitor cells; adult neurogenesis; differentiation; extracellular signal-regulated kinase; fate determination; magnesium