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Identification of a lectin causing the degeneration of neuronal processes using engineered embryonic stem cells

Plachta, N. and Annaheim, C. and Bissiere, S. and Lin, S. and Ruegg, M. and Hoving, S. and Muller, D. and Poirier, F. and Bibel, M. and Barde, Y. -A.. (2007) Identification of a lectin causing the degeneration of neuronal processes using engineered embryonic stem cells. Nature neuroscience, Vol. 10, H. 6. pp. 712-719.

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Abstract

Unlike the mechanisms involved in the death of neuronal cell bodies, those causing the elimination of processes are not well understood owing to the lack of suitable experimental systems. As the neurotrophin receptor p75(NTR) is known to restrict the growth of neuronal processes, we engineered mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells to express an Ngfr (p75(NTR)) cDNA under the control of the Mapt locus (the gene encoding tau), which begins to be active when ES cell-derived progenitors start elongating processes. This caused a progressive, synchronous degeneration of all processes, and a prospective proteomic analysis showed increased levels of the sugar-binding protein galectin-1 in the p75(NTR)-engineered cells. Function-blocking galectin-1 antibodies prevented the degeneration of processes, and recombinant galectin-1 caused the processes of wild-type neurons to degenerate first, followed by the cell bodies. In vivo, the application of a glutamate receptor agonist, a maneuver known to upregulate p75(NTR), led to an increase in the amount of galectin-1 and to the degeneration of neurons and their processes in a galectin-1-dependent fashion. Section of the sciatic nerve also rapidly upregulated levels of p75(NTR) and galectin-1 in terminal Schwann cells, and the elimination of nerve endings was delayed at the neuromuscular junction of mice lacking Lgals1 (the gene encoding galectin-1). These results indicate that galectin-1 actively participates in the elimination of neuronal processes after lesion, and that engineered ES cells are a useful tool for studying relevant aspects of neuronal degeneration that have been hitherto difficult to analyze.
Faculties and Departments:05 Faculty of Science > Departement Biozentrum > Former Organization Units Biozentrum > Pharmacology/Neurobiology (Barde)
05 Faculty of Science > Departement Biozentrum > Neurobiology > Pharmacology/Neurobiology (Rüegg)
UniBasel Contributors:Rüegg, Markus A. and Barde, Yves-Alain
Item Type:Article, refereed
Article Subtype:Research Article
Publisher:Nature America
ISSN:1097-6256
Note:Publication type according to Uni Basel Research Database: Journal article
Language:English
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Last Modified:21 Feb 2019 04:13
Deposited On:22 Mar 2012 13:20

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