中国神经再生研究(英文版) ›› 2025, Vol. 20 ›› Issue (6): 1801-1815.doi: 10.4103/NRR.NRR-D-23-01897

• 原著:神经损伤修复保护与再生 • 上一篇    下一篇

NeuroD1,Ascl1和Dlx2诱导星形胶质细胞向神经元转分化过程中的特征性变化

  

  • 出版日期:2025-06-15 发布日期:2024-11-12

Characteristic changes in astrocyte properties during astrocyte-to-neuron conversion induced by NeuroD1/ Ascl1/Dlx2

Qing He# , Zhen Wang# , Yuchen Wang, Mengjie Zhu, Zhile Liang, Kanghong Zhang, Yuge Xu, Gong Chen*   

  1. GHM Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
  • Online:2025-06-15 Published:2024-11-12
  • Contact: Gong Chen, PhD, gongchen@jnu.edu.cn.
  • Supported by:
    This study was supported by the Key Project of Guangzhou City, No. 202206060002; Science and Technology Project of Guangdong Province, No. 2018B030332001; Guangdong Provincial Pearl River Project, No. 2021ZT09Y552 (all to GC).

摘要:

神经转录因子诱导星形胶质细胞在体内直接转分化为功能性新神经元已被认为是神经损伤和退行性疾病的一种潜在的治疗策略。然而,近年来的一些研究声称,神经转录因子并不能将星形胶质细胞转分化为神经元,那些转化而来的神经元全部是由原有的神经元“泄漏”所致。此次实验在针刺损伤小鼠大脑皮质中反应性星形胶质细胞中过表达了3种不同的神经转录因子NeuroD1,Ascl1或Dlx2,结果可见星形胶质细胞均能发生一系列特征性变化。具体而言,这些神经转录因子都是表达在胶质细胞的细胞核里,但随着时间的推移,胶质细胞的形态逐渐向神经元的形态转化,神经转录因子也逐渐出现在神经元样的细胞核里,而胶质细胞核里的神经转录因子则逐渐消失。同时可见星形胶质细胞的终足信号AQP4、间隙连接信号CX43和星形胶质细胞标志物S100β在神经转录因子的作用下先逐渐降低,然后又逐渐升高恢复。这些星形细胞的变化并不能用转基因泄漏到预先存在的神经元中来解释。因而得出,在成年哺乳动物大脑中,神经转录因子NeuroD1,Ascl1或Dlx2可将反应性星形胶质细胞转分化为神经元。

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1857-3670 (Gong Chen)

关键词:

星形胶质细胞, 重编程, 神经胶质转化, 神经再生, NeuroD1, Ascl1, Dlx2, AQP4, 缝隙连接, 皮质, 转分化

Abstract: Direct in vivo conversion of astrocytes into functional new neurons induced by neural transcription factors has been recognized as a potential new therapeutic intervention for neural injury and degenerative disorders. However, a few recent studies have claimed that neural transcription factors cannot convert astrocytes into neurons, attributing the converted neurons to pre-existing neurons mis-expressing transgenes. In this study, we overexpressed three distinct neural transcription factors––NeuroD1, Ascl1, and Dlx2––in reactive astrocytes in mouse cortices subjected to stab injury, resulting in a series of significant changes in astrocyte properties. Initially, the three neural transcription factors were exclusively expressed in the nuclei of astrocytes. Over time, however, these astrocytes gradually adopted neuronal morphology, and the neural transcription factors was gradually observed in the nuclei of neuron-like cells instead of astrocytes. Furthermore, we noted that transcription factor-infected astrocytes showed a progressive decrease in the expression of astrocytic markers AQP4 (astrocyte endfeet signal), CX43 (gap junction signal), and S100β. Importantly, none of these changes could be attributed to transgene leakage into preexisting neurons. Therefore, our findings suggest that neural transcription factors such as NeuroD1, Ascl1, and Dlx2 can effectively convert reactive astrocytes into neurons in the adult mammalian brain.

Key words: aquaporin-4, Ascl1, astrocyte, cortex, Dlx2, gap junction, glia-to-neuron conversion, neural regeneration, NeuroD1, reprogramming