Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 18, 2026
10:09
Isolation and Cultivation of Neural Progenitors Followed by Chromatin-Immunoprecipitation of Histone 3 Lysine 79 Dimethylation Mark
Published on: January 26, 2018
[Epigenetic mechanisms regulating neural cell fate determination]
Kinichi Nakashima1, Jun Kohyama, Masakazu Namihira
1Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Ikoma, Nara. kin@bs.naist.jp
No to Hattatsu = Brain and Development
|November 26, 2009
Summary
Oligodendrocytes can become astrocytes via JAK/STAT signaling, revealing neural cell plasticity. This transdifferentiation is controlled by epigenetic mechanisms and external signals, impacting cell fate determination.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Epigenetics
- Cell Biology
Context:
- Neural stem/progenitor cells (NSCs/NPCs) differentiate into neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes.
- Epigenetic modifications like DNA methylation and cytokine signaling influence NSC/NPC fate.
- Mechanisms maintaining differentiated cell identity by repressing alternative lineage properties are not fully understood.
Purpose:
- To investigate how differentiated neural cells maintain their specific attributes.
- To explore the potential for transdifferentiation in mature neural cells.
- To identify the molecular pathways regulating neural cell plasticity.
Summary:
- Methyl-CpG binding domain proteins (MBDs) repress astrocyte-specific genes in neurons.
- Oligodendrocytes, lacking MBDs, can transdifferentiate into astrocytes in vitro and in vivo.
- This transdifferentiation is triggered by cytokine stimulation or ischemic injury, involving JAK/STAT signaling activation.
Impact:
- Suggests that differentiated neural cells retain plasticity.
- Highlights the interplay between cell-intrinsic epigenetic regulation and cell-extrinsic cues.
- Provides insights into the dynamic regulation of cell identity in the central nervous system.
Related Concept Videos
01:51Determination
During embryogenesis, cells become progressively committed to different fates through a two-step process: specification followed by determination. Specification is demonstrated by removing a segment of an early embryo, “neutrally” culturing the tissue in vitro—for example, in a petri dish with simple medium—and then observing the derivatives. If the cultured region gives rise to cell types that it would normally generate in the embryo, this means that it is specified. In contrast, determination...
01:24Methods of Nuclear Reprogramming
Nuclear reprogramming is a process of transforming one cell type into an unrelated cell type by epigenetic changes that alter the cell’s original gene expression pattern. Such epigenetic changes force cells to express a different set of genes, which play a significant role in inducing transformation into other cell types. Nuclear reprogramming offers applications in reproductive cloning for livestock propagation and regenerative medicine — developing patient-specific cells for injury repair.
01:37Epigenetic Regulation
Epigenetic changes alter the physical structure of the DNA without changing the genetic sequence and often regulate whether genes are turned on or off. This regulation ensures that each cell produces only proteins necessary for its function. For example, proteins that promote bone growth are not produced in muscle cells. Epigenetic mechanisms play an essential role in healthy development. Conversely, precisely regulated epigenetic mechanisms are disrupted in diseases like cancer.
X-chromosome...
X-chromosome...
01:46Epigenetic Regulation
Epigenetic mechanisms play an essential role in healthy development. Conversely, precisely regulated epigenetic mechanisms are disrupted in diseases like cancer.
01:46Epigenetic Regulation
Epigenetic mechanisms play an essential role in healthy development. Conversely, precisely regulated epigenetic mechanisms are disrupted in diseases like cancer.
01:14Maintenance of the ES Cell State
The cells of the blastocyst inner cell mass only remain pluripotent for a short time. This state of pluripotency and self-renewal can be maintained in embryonic stem (ES) cell culture by adding specific chemicals or growth factors to ensure the cells can continue dividing and later differentiate into different cell types. In some cases, the cells are grown on a feeder layer of differentiated cells, which provides the growth factors and extracellular matrix components necessary for stem cell...