Search

Chromatin modification plays a key role in fate decision of neural stem cells. Here, we explored the impact of epigenetic remodelling onto neuronal fate determination using specific inhibitors of histone deacetylases (iHDAC). Adult subventricular zone (SVZ) precursor cells were expanded as neurospheres and treated in vitro with second generation iHDAC MS-275, M344 and suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA). All tested compounds revealed a significant increase of betaIII-tubulin positive neurons (ranging from 258 to 431%) in a concentration-dependent manner. The number of oligodendrocytes was decreased by almost 50%, accompanied by a reduction of Olig2 mRNA expression. In contrast, astrocyte quantity remained unaffected after iHDAC treatment. Both control and iHDAC treated cells expressed markers of mature GABAergic and dopaminergic neurons. Increased expression levels of NeuroD, Cyclin D2 and B-lymphocyte translocation gene 3 (Btg3) point to a shift towards neuronal fate determination targeted by HDAC inhibitors.

Adult neural stem cells (aNSCs) are the source for the continuous production of new neurons throughout life. This so-called adult neurogenesis has been extensively studied; the intermediate cellular stages are well documented. Recent discoveries have raised new controversies in the field, such as the notion that progenitor cells hold similar self-renewal potential as stem cells, or whether different types of aNSCs exist. Here, we discuss evidence for heterogeneity of aNSCs, including short-term and long-term self-renewing aNSCs, regional and temporal differences in aNSC function, and single cell transcriptomics. Reviewing various genetic mouse models used for targeting aNSCs and lineage tracing, we consider potential lineage relationships between Ascl1-, Gli1-, and Nestin-targeted aNSCs. We present a multidimensional model of adult neurogenesis that incorporates recent findings and conclude that stemness is a phenotype, a state of properties that can change with time, rather than a cell property, which is static and immutable. We argue that singular aNSCs do not exist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is commonly accepted that adult neurogenesis and gliogenesis follow the same principles through the mammalian class. However, it has been reported that neurogenesis might differ between species, even from the same order, like in rodents. Currently, it is not known if neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) from various species differ in their cell identity and potential. NSPCs can be expanded ex vivo as neurospheres (NSph), a model widely used to study neurogenesis in vitro. Here we demonstrate that rat (r) and mouse (m) NSph display different cell identities, differentiation fate, electrophysiological function and tumorigenic potential. Adult rNSph consist mainly of oligodendroglial progenitors (OPCs), which after repeated passaging proliferate independent of mitogens, whereas adult mNSph show astroglial precursor-like characteristics and retain their mitogen dependency. Most of the cells in rNSph express OPC markers and spontaneously differentiate into oligodendrocytes after growth factor withdrawal. Electrophysiological analysis confirmed OPC characteristics. mNSph have different electrophysiological properties, they express astrocyte precursor markers and spontaneously differentiate primarily into astrocytes. Furthermore, rNSph have the potential to differentiate into oligodendrocytes and astrocytes, whereas mNSph are restricted to the astrocytic lineage. The phenotypic differences between rNSph and mNSph were not due to a distinct response to species specific derived growth factors and are probably not caused by autocrine mechanisms. Our findings suggest that NSph derived from adult rat and mouse brains display different cell identities. Thus, results urge for caution when data derived from NSph are extrapolated to other species or to the in vivo situation, especially when aimed towards the clinical use of human NSph. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individual tumour cells display diverse functional behaviours in terms of proliferation rate, cell–cell interactions, metastatic potential and sensitivity to therapy. Moreover, sequencing studies have demonstrated surprising levels of genetic diversity between individual patient tumours of the same type. Tumour heterogeneity presents a significant therapeutic challenge as diverse cell types within a tumour can respond differently to therapies, and inter-patient heterogeneity may prevent the development of general treatments for cancer. One strategy that may help overcome tumour heterogeneity is the identification of tumour sub-populations that drive specific disease pathologies for the development of therapies targeting these clinically relevant sub-populations. Here, we have identified a dye-retaining brain tumour population that displays all the hallmarks of a tumour-initiating sub-population. Using a limiting dilution transplantation assay in immunocompromised mice, label-retaining brain tumour cells display elevated tumour-initiation properties relative to the bulk population. Importantly, tumours generated from these label-retaining cells exhibit all the pathological features of the primary disease. Together, these findings confirm dye-retaining brain tumour cells exhibit tumour-initiation ability and are therefore viable targets for the development of therapeutics targeting this sub-population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hippocampal dentate gyrus maintains its capacity to generate new neurons throughout life. In animal models, hippocampal neurogenesis is increased by cognitive tasks, and experimental ablation of neurogenesis disrupts specific modalities of learning and memory. In humans, the impact of neurogenesis on cognition remains unclear. Here, we assessed the neurogenic potential in the human hippocampal dentate gyrus by isolating adult human neural stem cells from 23 surgical en bloc hippocampus resections. After proliferation of the progenitor cell pool in vitro we identified two distinct patterns. Adult human neural stem cells with a high proliferation capacity were obtained in 11 patients. Most of the cells in the high proliferation capacity cultures were capable of neuronal differentiation (53 ± 13% of in vitro cell population). A low proliferation capacity was observed in 12 specimens, and only few cells differentiated into neurons (4 ± 2%). This was reflected by reduced numbers of proliferating cells in vivo as well as granule cells immunoreactive for doublecortin, brain-derived neurotrophic factor and cyclin-dependent kinase 5 in the low proliferation capacity group. High and low proliferation capacity groups differed dramatically in declarative memory tasks. Patients with high proliferation capacity stem cells had a normal memory performance prior to epilepsy surgery, while patients with low proliferation capacity stem cells showed severe learning and memory impairment. Histopathological examination revealed a highly significant correlation between granule cell loss in the dentate gyrus and the same patient’s regenerative capacity in vitro (r = 0.813; P < 0.001; linear regression: R2adjusted = 0.635), as well as the same patient’s ability to store and recall new memories (r = 0.966; P = 0.001; linear regression: R2adjusted = 0.9). Our results suggest that encoding new memories is related to the regenerative capacity of the hippocampus in the human brain. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We have previously shown that soluble factors derived from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) induce oligodendrogenic fate and differentiation in adult rat neural progenitors (NPCs) in vitro. Here, we investigated if this pro-oligodendrogenic effect is maintained after cells have been transplanted onto rat hippocampal slice cultures, a CNS-organotypic environment. We first tested whether NPCs, that were pre-differentiated in vitro by MSC-derived conditioned medium, would generate oligodendrocytes after transplantation. This approach resulted in the loss of grafted NPCs, suggesting that oligodendroglial pre-differentiated cells could not integrate in the tissue and therefore did not survive grafting. However, when NPCs together with MSCs were transplanted in situ into hippocampal slice cultures, the grafted NPCs survived and the majority of them differentiated into oligodendrocytes. In contrast to the prevalent oligodendroglial differentiation in case of the NPC/MSC co-transplantation, naïve NPCs transplanted in the absence of MSCs differentiated predominantly into astrocytes. In summary, the pro-oligodendrogenic activity of MSCs was maintained only after co-transplantation into hippocampal slice cultures. Therefore, in the otherwise astrogenic milieu, MSCs established an oligodendrogenic niche for transplanted NPCs, and thus, co-transplantation of MSCs with NPCs might provide an attractive approach to re-myelinate the various regions of the diseased CNS. Copyright © 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zeb1, a zinc finger E-box binding homeobox epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) transcription factor, confers properties of "stemness," such as self-renewal, in cancer. Yet little is known about the function of Zeb1 in adult stem cells. Here, we used the hematopoietic system as a well-established paradigm of stem cell biology to evaluate Zeb1-mediated regulation of adult stem cells. We employed a conditional genetic approach using the Mx1-Cre system to specifically knock out (KO) Zeb1 in adult hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and their downstream progeny. Acute genetic deletion of Zeb1 led to rapid-onset thymic atrophy and apoptosis-driven loss of thymocytes and T cells. A profound cell-autonomous self-renewal defect and multilineage differentiation block were observed in Zeb1-KO HSCs. Loss of Zeb1 in HSCs activated transcriptional programs of deregulated HSC maintenance and multilineage differentiation genes and of cell polarity consisting of cytoskeleton-, lipid metabolism/lipid membrane-, and cell adhesion-related genes. Notably, epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) expression was prodigiously upregulated in Zeb1-KO HSCs, which correlated with enhanced cell survival, diminished mitochondrial metabolism, ribosome biogenesis, and differentiation capacity and an activated transcriptomic signature associated with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) signaling. ZEB1 expression was downregulated in AML patients, and Zeb1 KO in the malignant counterparts of HSCs - leukemic stem cells (LSCs) - accelerated MLL-AF9- and Meis1a/Hoxa9-driven AML progression, implicating Zeb1 as a tumor suppressor in AML LSCs. Thus, Zeb1 acts as a transcriptional regulator in hematopoiesis, critically coordinating HSC self-renewal, apoptotic, and multilineage differentiation fates required to suppress leukemic potential in AML. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]