該圖像顯示了增殖細(xì)胞在小鼠小腦內(nèi)的 在（兒童腦腫瘤中常見(jiàn)的）髓母細(xì)胞瘤,。
資料來(lái)源: 《科學(xué)》
據(jù)12月4日的《科學(xué)》雜志報(bào)道說(shuō),，新的研究顯示,，在子宮中對(duì)胎兒腦部健康發(fā)育所必需的一種信號(hào)蛋白同時(shí)也在一種生長(zhǎng)迅速的腦癌的形成中扮演了一種角色,。 人們已知Atoh1轉(zhuǎn)錄因子在小腦的發(fā)育中扮演著其至關(guān)重要的角色,。 它還與腦部的某些其它的癌癥有牽連,，其中包括髓母細(xì)胞瘤這種神經(jīng)系統(tǒng)中最常見(jiàn)的兒科腫瘤,。 然而，人們對(duì)該蛋白質(zhì)在胎兒出生之后的確切的功能仍然不清楚,，其部分原因是因?yàn)闃?biāo)準(zhǔn)的“剔除”基因的方法將會(huì)妨礙小鼠正常發(fā)育并活到出生的時(shí)候,。
Adriano Flora及其同僚應(yīng)用一種不同的方法，使得他們能夠在小鼠出生之后來(lái)剔除該基因,。 研究的結(jié)果表明,，Atoh1會(huì)調(diào)節(jié)Gli2基因的表達(dá)，因而也會(huì)影響到所謂的“Sonic Hedgehog”信號(hào)通路,。 該信號(hào)通路在正常情況下會(huì)使小腦的前體細(xì)胞保持在未分化的狀態(tài),，因此它在細(xì)胞的分化與增生之間保持著微妙的平衡，這種平衡一旦出錯(cuò)就會(huì)導(dǎo)致腫瘤的生長(zhǎng),。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦原始出處：
Science 4 December 2009:DOI: 10.1126/science.1181453
Deletion of Atoh1 Disrupts Sonic Hedgehog Signaling in the Developing Cerebellum and Prevents Medulloblastoma
Adriano Flora,1 Tiemo J. Klisch,1,2 Gabriele Schuster,1 Huda Y. Zoghbi1,2,3,4,*
Granule neuron precursors (GNPs) are the most actively proliferating cells in the postnatal nervous system, and mutations in pathways that control the GNP cell cycle can result in medulloblastoma. The transcription factor Atoh1 has been suspected to contribute to GNP proliferation, but its role in normal and neoplastic postnatal cerebellar development remains unexplored. We show that Atoh1 regulates the signal transduction pathway of Sonic Hedgehog, an extracellular factor that is essential for GNP proliferation, and demonstrate that deletion of Atoh1 prevents cerebellar neoplasia in a mouse model of medulloblastoma. Our data shed light on the function of Atoh1 in postnatal cerebellar development and identify a new mechanism that can be targeted to regulate medulloblastoma formation.
1 Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
2 Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
3 Departments of Neuroscience and Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
4 Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
