HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE ADVANCED SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Kasai, M. Articles by Akiyama, T. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Kasai, M. Articles by Akiyama, T.

Laboratory of Molecular and Genetic Information, Institute for Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113, Japan

In the mammalian central nervous system, neurogenesis precedes gliogenesis; neurons are primarily generated at the neural stage, whereas most glial cells are generated perinatally and postnatally. However, the signals that regulate this sequence of events remain unclear. Here we show that Wnt signaling induces neuronal and astroglial differentiation but suppresses oligodendroglial differentiation. We observed that precursor cells infected with a retrovirus encoding ß-catenin differentiated into neurons, while astrocytes developed from uninfected precursor cells surrounding infected cells. As neurogenesis proceeded, expression of the bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), BMP2, 4 and 7, progressively increased in the cells infected with the retrovirus encoding ß-catenin. Furthermore, treatment of cells with Noggin, a BMP antagonist, completely inhibited astroglial differentiation but partially restored oligodendroglial differentiation. These results suggest that Wnt signaling indirectly regulates gliogenesis by inducing BMPs in neuronal cells. Thus, cooperation between Wnt and BMP signaling may play a key role in determining the sequence of neurogenesis and gliogenesis.

^* Correspondence: E-mail: akiyama{at}iam.u-tokyo.ac.jp

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. Stefanovic, N. Abboud, S. Desilets, D. Nury, C. Cowan, and M. Puceat Interplay of Oct4 with Sox2 and Sox17: a molecular switch from stem cell pluripotency to specifying a cardiac fate J. Cell Biol., September 7, 2009; 186(5): 665 - 673. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J.-W. Jeong, K. Y. Lee, S. J. Han, B. J. Aronow, J. P. Lydon, B. W. O'Malley, and F. J. DeMayo The p160 Steroid Receptor Coactivator 2, SRC-2, Regulates Murine Endometrial Function and Regulates Progesterone-Independent and -Dependent Gene Expression Endocrinology, September 1, 2007; 148(9): 4238 - 4250. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]