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Live Imaging of Mitosis in the Developing Mouse Embryonic Cortex
Published on: June 4, 2014
Par-complex proteins promote proliferative progenitor divisions in the developing mouse cerebral cortex
Marcos R Costa1, Gaiping Wen, Alexandra Lepier
1GSF-National Research Institute for Environment and Health, Institute for Stem Cell Research, Ingolstädter Landstr 1, 85764, Neuherberg/Munich, Germany.
Development (Cambridge, England)
|November 23, 2007
Summary
Par-complex proteins at the apical surface of cerebral cortex progenitors regulate brain development. Their decrease promotes self-renewal, while overexpression enhances progenitor generation and clone size.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Brain region size is determined by the balance between cell proliferation and differentiation.
- Cerebral cortex development involves ventricular zone (VZ) and subventricular zone (SVZ) progenitors with distinct division modes and polarity.
- Apical membrane domains in VZ progenitors are enriched with Par-complex proteins.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of apically located Par-complex proteins in regulating progenitor cell division and differentiation during mouse cerebral cortex development.
- To analyze the impact of altered Par-complex protein levels on progenitor pool expansion and neuronal output.
Main Methods:
- Gain- and loss-of-function experiments were performed for Par3 and Par6 proteins.
- In vitro and in vivo assays were used to assess clone size and progenitor self-renewal.
- Time-lapse video microscopy was employed to observe cell division modes.
Main Results:
- Loss of Par3 function led to premature cell cycle exit and restricted progeny to lower cortical layers.
- Overexpression of Par3 or Par6 promoted the generation of self-renewing Pax6+ progenitors.
- Par-complex proteins influence the mode of cell division, increasing progenitor numbers without altering cell cycle length.
Conclusions:
- Apically located Par-complex proteins are crucial for promoting self-renewing progenitor divisions over neurogenic differentiation in the developing cerebral cortex.
- Modulating Par-complex protein levels offers a potential mechanism to control progenitor pool expansion during cortical development.
