Conditional activation of Bmi1 expression regulates self-renewal, apoptosis, and differentiation of neural stem/progenitor cells in vitro and in vivo.

The Polycomb group protein Bmi1 is a key regulator of self-renewal of embryonic and adult central nervous system stem cells, and its overexpression has been shown to occur in several types of brain tumors. In a Cre/LoxP-based conditional transgenic mouse model, we show that fine-tuning of Bmi1 expression in embryonic neural stem cell (NSC) is sufficient to increase their proliferation and self-renewal potential both in vitro and in vivo. This is linked to downregulation of both the ink4a/ARF and the p21/Foxg1 axes. However, increased and ectopic proliferation induced by overexpression of Bmi1 in progenitors committed toward a neuronal lineage during embryonic cortical development, triggers apoptosis through a survivin-mediated mechanism and leads to reduced brain size. Postnatally, however, increased self-renewal capacity of neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPC) is independent of Foxg1 and resistance to apoptosis is observed in neural progenitors derived from NSC-overexpressing Bmi1. Neoplastic transformation is absent in mice-overexpressing Bmi1 aged up to 20 months. These studies provide strong evidence that fine tuning of Bmi1 expression is a viable tool to increase self-renewal capacity of NSCs both in vitro and in vivo without eliciting neoplastic transformation of these cells.

Neural stem cells, tumour stem cells and brain tumours: dangerous relationships?

Neural stem cells (NSC) have been implicated not only in brain development and neurogenesis but also in tumourigenesis. Brain tumour stem cells (BTSC) have been isolated from several paediatric or adult human brain tumours, however their origin is still disputed. This review discusses the normal role of NSC in the adult mammalian brain and their anatomical location. It compares the molecular characteristics and the biological behaviour of NSC/BTSC, and describes the molecular pathways involved in controlling self-renewal and maintenance of adult NSC/BTSC and brain tumour development. It also assesses the current hypotheses about the origin of BTSC and the clinical consequences.

Distinct priming kinases contribute to differential regulation of collapsin response mediator proteins by glycogen synthase kinase-3 in vivo.

Collapsin response mediator proteins (CRMPs) are a family of neuron-enriched proteins that regulate neurite outgrowth and growth cone dynamics. Here, we show that Cdk5 phosphorylates CRMP1, CRMP2, and CRMP4, priming for subsequent phosphorylation by GSK3 in vitro. In contrast, DYRK2 phosphorylates and primes CRMP4 only. The Cdk5 and DYRK2 inhibitor purvalanol decreases the phosphorylation of CRMP proteins in neurons, whereas CRMP1 and CRMP2, but not CRMP4, phosphorylation is decreased in Cdk5(-/-) cortices. Stimulation of neuroblastoma cells with IGF1 or TPA decreases GSK3 activity concomitantly with CRMP2 and CRMP4 phosphorylation. Conversely, increased GSK3 activity is not sufficient to increase CRMP phosphorylation. However, the growth cone collapse-inducing protein Sema3A increases Cdk5 activity and promotes phosphorylation of CRMP2 (but not CRMP4). Therefore, inhibition of GSK3 alters phosphorylation of all CRMP isoforms; however, individual isoforms can be differentially regulated by their respective priming kinase. This is the first GSK3 substrate found to be regulated in this manner and may explain the hyperphosphorylation of CRMP2 observed in Alzheimer's disease.