奧地利研究人員最新研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，一種蛋白質在神經(jīng)發(fā)育中起關鍵作用,，從而進一步揭示了神經(jīng)干細胞分化成神經(jīng)元的機理，在大腦發(fā)育研究方面取得了新的進展,。
奧地利科學院分子生物技術研究所等機構的研究人員對老鼠大腦皮層的研究顯示,，一種名為“TRIM32”的蛋白質控制著神經(jīng)元的形成過程。神經(jīng)元是高等動物神經(jīng)系統(tǒng)的結構單位和功能單位,，其基本功能是通過接收,、整合,、傳導和輸出信息實現(xiàn)信息交換。它由神經(jīng)干細胞分化而成,。
神經(jīng)干細胞在分化過程中通常生成兩個細胞,，一個是神經(jīng)元，另一個則保持神經(jīng)干細胞的狀態(tài),，以反復分化,。研究人員發(fā)現(xiàn)，“TRIM32”蛋白質的表達能促進神經(jīng)干細胞生成神經(jīng)元,，如果這種蛋白質的表達被抑制,，則兩個子細胞都會保持神經(jīng)干細胞的狀態(tài)。
研究人員克諾布利希介紹說,，這項成果在許多方面具有實用價值,。如果治療某種疾病需要神經(jīng)干細胞，那么可以通過抑制“TRIM32”的表達來培養(yǎng)更多的神經(jīng)干細胞,；如果需要激活成年人大腦中仍在睡眠的神經(jīng)干細胞,，以形成新的神經(jīng)元，也可以采取促進這種蛋白質表達的方法,。
相關研究報告刊登在最新一期《細胞》雜志上,。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦原始出處：
Cell,6 March 2009 doi:10.1016/j.cell.2008.12.024
The TRIM-NHL Protein TRIM32 Activates MicroRNAs and Prevents Self-Renewal in Mouse Neural Progenitors
Jens C. Schwamborn1,Eugene Berezikov2andJuergen A. Knoblich1,,
1 Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Dr Bohr Gasse 3, 1030 Vienna, Austria
2 Hubrecht Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands
Summary
In the mouse neocortex, neural progenitor cells generate both differentiating neurons and daughter cells that maintain progenitor fate. Here, we show that the TRIM-NHL protein TRIM32 regulates protein degradation and microRNA activity to control the balance between those two daughter cell types. In both horizontally and vertically dividing progenitors, TRIM32 becomes polarized in mitosis and is concentrated in one of the two daughter cells. TRIM32 overexpression induces neuronal differentiation while inhibition of TRIM32 causes both daughter cells to retain progenitor cell fate. TRIM32 ubiquitinates and degrades the transcription factor c-Myc but also binds Argonaute-1 and thereby increases the activity of specific microRNAs. We show that Let-7 is one of the TRIM32 targets and is required and sufficient for neuronal differentiation. TRIM32 is the mouse ortholog of Drosophila Brat and Mei-P26 and might be part of a protein family that regulates the balance between differentiation and proliferation in stem cell lineages.
