RESUMO
Cephalopods possess remarkable camouflage capabilities, which are enabled by their complex skin structure and sophisticated nervous system. Such unique characteristics have in turn inspired the design of novel functional materials and devices. Within this context, recent studies have focused on investigating the self-assembly, optical, and electrical properties of reflectin, a protein that plays a key role in cephalopod structural coloration. Herein, we report the discovery that reflectin constitutes an effective material for the growth of human neural stem/progenitor cells. Our findings may hold relevance both for understanding cephalopod embryogenesis and for developing improved protein-based bioelectronic devices.
Assuntos
Materiais Biocompatíveis/farmacologia , Células-Tronco Neurais/citologia , Proteínas/farmacologia , Animais , Astrócitos/citologia , Astrócitos/efeitos dos fármacos , Diferenciação Celular/efeitos dos fármacos , Linhagem Celular , Proliferação de Células/efeitos dos fármacos , Decapodiformes/química , Humanos , Microscopia de Fluorescência , Células-Tronco Neurais/efeitos dos fármacos , Neurônios/citologia , Neurônios/efeitos dos fármacosRESUMO
Neural stem cells are multipotent cells with the ability to differentiate into neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes. Lineage specification is strongly sensitive to the mechanical properties of the cellular environment. However, molecular pathways transducing matrix mechanical cues to intracellular signaling pathways linked to lineage specification remain unclear. We found that the mechanically gated ion channel Piezo1 is expressed by brain-derived human neural stem/progenitor cells and is responsible for a mechanically induced ionic current. Piezo1 activity triggered by traction forces elicited influx of Ca(2+), a known modulator of differentiation, in a substrate-stiffness-dependent manner. Inhibition of channel activity by the pharmacological inhibitor GsMTx-4 or by siRNA-mediated Piezo1 knockdown suppressed neurogenesis and enhanced astrogenesis. Piezo1 knockdown also reduced the nuclear localization of the mechanoreactive transcriptional coactivator Yes-associated protein. We propose that the mechanically gated ion channel Piezo1 is an important determinant of mechanosensitive lineage choice in neural stem cells and may play similar roles in other multipotent stem cells.