Olig2/Plp-positive progenitor cells give rise to Bergmann glia in the cerebellum

Animal-based approaches to understanding neuroglia physiology in vitro and in vivo

This chapter describes the pivotal role of animal models for unraveling the physiology of neuroglial cells in the central nervous system (CNS). The two rodent species Mus musculus (mice) and Rattus norvegicus (rats) have been indispensable in scientific research due to their remarkable resemblance to humans anatomically, physiologically, and genetically. Their ease of maintenance, short gestation times, and rapid development make them ideal candidates for studying the physiology of astrocytes, oligodendrocyte-lineage cells, and microglia. Moreover, their genetic similarity to humans facilitates the investigation of molecular mechanisms governing neural physiology. Mice are largely the predominant model of neuroglial research, owing to advanced genetic manipulation techniques, whereas rats remain invaluable for applications requiring larger CNS structures for surgical manipulations. Next to rodents, other animal models, namely, Danio rerio (zebrafish) and Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly), will be discussed to emphasize their critical role in advancing our understanding of glial physiology. Each animal model provides distinct advantages and disadvantages. By combining the strengths of each of them, researchers can gain comprehensive insights into glial function across species, ultimately promoting the understanding of glial physiology in the human CNS and driving the development of novel therapeutic interventions for CNS disorders.

FBXW7 regulates MYRF levels to control myelin capacity and homeostasis in the adult CNS

Myelin, along with the oligodendrocytes (OLs) that produce it, is essential for proper central nervous system (CNS) function in vertebrates. Although the accurate targeting of myelin to axons and its maintenance are critical for CNS performance, the molecular pathways that regulate these processes remain poorly understood. Through a combination of zebrafish genetics, mouse models, and primary OL cultures, we found FBXW7, a recognition subunit of an E3 ubiquitin ligase complex, is a regulator of adult myelination in the CNS. Loss of Fbxw7 in myelinating OLs resulted in increased myelin sheath lengths with no change in myelin thickness. As the animals aged, they developed progressive abnormalities including myelin outfolds, disrupted paranodal organization, and ectopic ensheathment of neuronal cell bodies with myelin. Through biochemical studies we found that FBXW7 directly binds and degrades the N-terminal of Myelin Regulatory Factor (N-MYRF), to control the balance between oligodendrocyte myelin growth and homeostasis.

Organization of the ventricular zone of the cerebellum

The roof of the fourth ventricle (4V) is located on the ventral part of the cerebellum, a region with abundant vascularization and cell heterogeneity that includes tanycyte-like cells that define a peculiar glial niche known as ventromedial cord. This cord is composed of a group of biciliated cells that run along the midline, contacting the ventricular lumen and the subventricular zone. Although the complex morphology of the glial cells composing the cord resembles to tanycytes, cells which are known for its proliferative capacity, scarce or non-proliferative activity has been evidenced in this area. The subventricular zone of the cerebellum includes astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and neurons whose function has not been extensively studied. This review describes to some extent the phenotypic, morphological, and functional characteristics of the cells that integrate the roof of the 4V, primarily from rodent brains.

The role of astrocytes in epileptic disorders

Epilepsy affects about 1% of the population and approximately 30% of epileptic patients are resistant to current antiepileptic drugs. As a hallmark in epileptic tissue, many of the epileptic patients show changes in glia morphology and function. There are characteristic changes in different types of glia in different epilepsy models. Some of these changes such as astrogliosis are enough to provoke epileptic seizures. Astrogliosis is well known in mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE), the most common form of refractory epilepsy. A better understanding of astrocytes alterations could lead to novel and efficient pharmacological approaches for epilepsy. In this review, we present the alterations of astrocyte morphology and function and present some instances of targeting astrocytes in seizure and epilepsy.

Olig2 knockdown alleviates hypoxic-ischemic brain damage in newborn rats

OBJECTIVES

Neuronal damage is an important pathological mechanism in neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain damage (HIBD). We found in our previous studies that oligodendrocyte transcription factor 2 (Olig2) downregulation was able to increase cell survival in the brain. However, the specific mechanism has yet to be clarified.

METHODS

Sprague-Dawley rats aged 3 d were randomly divided into three groups: the normal control group, the Olig2-RNAi group, and the RNAi-negative control group. The normal control group received no treatment, the Olig2-RNAi group received the Olig2 RNAi adenovirus, and the RNAi-negative control group was given the control adenovirus after the completion of the HIBD model. Infarct lesions and their volumes were observed by triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining 3 d after the completion of the adenovirus local injection. The condition of the tissue was characterized by hematoxylin-eosin staining 7 d after the model was established, and cell viability was determined by azure methylene blue staining. Subcellular damage was analyzed by transmission electron microscopy. Rotarod analysis was performed to detect moving behavior ability and an MWM assay was conducted to evaluate the memory.

RESULTS

TTC staining showed a smaller brain injury area in the Olig2-RNAi group than in the RNAi-negative control group. Hematoxylin-eosin staining indicated the presence of severe cell injury in the hippocampal region after HIBD, which improved after Olig2 knockdown. Azure methylene blue staining and electron microscopy results suggested that the cells improved after Olig2 knockdown. The rats stayed longer on the rotating rod, and their latency in the water maze test was gradually shortened relative to that of the rats in the Olig2-RNAi negative control group.

CONCLUSION

Olig2 knockdown can promote the repair of hypoxic-ischemic brain damage in newborn rats.

Defects in translation-dependent quality control pathways lead to convergent molecular and neurodevelopmental pathology

Translation-dependent quality control pathways such as no-go decay (NGD), non-stop decay (NSD), and nonsense-mediated decay (NMD) govern protein synthesis and proteostasis by resolving non-translating ribosomes and preventing the production of potentially toxic peptides derived from faulty and aberrant mRNAs. However, how translation is altered and the in vivo defects that arise in the absence of these pathways are poorly understood. Here, we show that the NGD/NSD factors Pelo and Hbs1l are critical in mice for cerebellar neurogenesis but expendable for survival of these neurons after development. Analysis of mutant mouse embryonic fibroblasts revealed translational pauses, alteration of signaling pathways, and translational reprogramming. Similar effects on signaling pathways, including mTOR activation, the translatome and mouse cerebellar development were observed upon deletion of the NMD factor Upf2. Our data reveal that these quality control pathways that function to mitigate errors at distinct steps in translation can evoke similar cellular responses.

Progenies of NG2 glia: what do we learn from transgenic mouse models ?

In the mammalian central nervous system, nerve-glia antigen 2 (NG2) glia are considered the fourth glial population in addition to astrocytes, oligodendrocytes and microglia. The fate of NG2 glia in vivo has been carefully studied in several transgenic mouse models using the Cre/loxP strategy. There is a clear agreement that NG2 glia mainly serve as progenitors for oligodendrocytes and a subpopulation of astrocytes mainly in the ventral forebrain, whereas the existence of a neurogenic potential of NG2 glia is lack of adequate evidence. This mini review summarizes the findings from recent studies regarding the fate of NG2 glia during development. We will highlight the age-and-region-dependent heterogeneity of the NG2 glia differentiation potential. We will also discuss putative reasons for inconsistent findings in various transgenic mouse lines of previous studies.

HIFα Regulates Developmental Myelination Independent of Autocrine Wnt Signaling

The developing CNS is exposed to physiological hypoxia, under which hypoxia-inducible factor α (HIFα) is stabilized and plays a crucial role in regulating neural development. The cellular and molecular mechanisms of HIFα in developmental myelination remain incompletely understood. A previous concept proposes that HIFα regulates CNS developmental myelination by activating the autocrine Wnt/β-catenin signaling in oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs). Here, by analyzing a battery of genetic mice of both sexes, we presented in vivo evidence supporting an alternative understanding of oligodendroglial HIFα-regulated developmental myelination. At the cellular level, we found that HIFα was required for developmental myelination by transiently controlling upstream OPC differentiation but not downstream oligodendrocyte maturation and that HIFα dysregulation in OPCs but not oligodendrocytes disturbed normal developmental myelination. We demonstrated that HIFα played a minor, if any, role in regulating canonical Wnt signaling in the oligodendroglial lineage or in the CNS. At the molecular level, blocking autocrine Wnt signaling did not affect HIFα-regulated OPC differentiation and myelination. We further identified HIFα-Sox9 regulatory axis as an underlying molecular mechanism in HIFα-regulated OPC differentiation. Our findings support a concept shift in our mechanistic understanding of HIFα-regulated CNS myelination from the previous Wnt-dependent view to a Wnt-independent one and unveil a previously unappreciated HIFα-Sox9 pathway in regulating OPC differentiation.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Promoting disturbed developmental myelination is a promising option in treating diffuse white matter injury, previously called periventricular leukomalacia, a major form of brain injury affecting premature infants. In the developing CNS, hypoxia-inducible factor α (HIFα) is a key regulator that adapts neural cells to physiological and pathologic hypoxic cues. The role and mechanism of HIFα in oligodendroglial myelination, which is severely disturbed in preterm infants affected with diffuse white matter injury, is incompletely understood. Our findings presented here represent a concept shift in our mechanistic understanding of HIFα-regulated developmental myelination and suggest the potential of intervening with an oligodendroglial HIFα-mediated signaling pathway to mitigate disturbed myelination in premature white matter injury.

Peculiar protrusions along tanycyte processes face diverse neural and nonneural cell types in the hypothalamic parenchyma

Tanycytes are highly specialized ependymal cells that line the bottom and the lateral walls of the third ventricle. In contact with the cerebrospinal fluid through their cell bodies, they send processes into the arcuate nucleus, the ventromedial nucleus, and the dorsomedial nucleus of the hypothalamus. In the present work, we combined transgenic and immunohistochemical approaches to investigate the neuroanatomical associations between tanycytes and neural cells present in the hypothalamic parenchyma, in particular in the arcuate nucleus. The specific expression of tdTomato in tanycytes first allowed the observation of peculiar subcellular protrusions along tanycyte processes and at their endfeet such as spines, swelling, en passant boutons, boutons, or claws. Interestingly, these protrusions contact different neural cells in the brain parenchyma including blood vessels and neurons, and in particular NPY and POMC neurons in the arcuate nucleus. Using both fluorescent and electron microscopy, we finally observed that these tanycyte protrusions contain ribosomes, mitochondria, diverse vesicles, and transporters, suggesting dense tanycyte/neuron and tanycyte/blood vessel communications. Altogether, our results lay the neuroanatomical basis for tanycyte/neural cell interactions, which will be useful to further understand cell-to-cell communications involved in the regulation of neuroendocrine functions.

Four main therapeutic keys for Parkinson's disease: A mini review

OBJECTIVES

Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by motor and cognitive dysfunctions. The progressive degeneration of dopamine-producing neurons that are present in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) has been the main focus of study and PD therapies since ages.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this manuscript, a systematic revision of experimental and clinical evidence of PD-associated cell process was conducted.

RESULTS

Classically, the damage in the dopaminergic neuronal circuits of SNpc is favored by reactive oxidative/nitrosative stress, leading to cell death. Interestingly, the therapy for PD has only focused on avoiding the symptom progression but not in finding a complete reversion of the disease. Recent evidence suggests that the renin-angiotensin system imbalance and neuroinflammation are the main keys in the progression of experimental PD.

CONCLUSION

The progression of neurodegeneration in SNpc is due to the complex interaction of multiple processes. In this review, we analyzed the main contribution of four cellular processes and discussed in the perspective of novel experimental approaches.

The Role of the Oligodendrocyte Lineage in Acute Brain Trauma

An acute brain injury is commonly characterized by an extended cellular damage. The post-injury process of scar formation is largely determined by responses of various local glial cells and blood-derived immune cells. The role of astrocytes and microglia have been frequently reviewed in the traumatic sequelae. Here, we summarize the diverse contributions of oligodendrocytes (OLs) and their precursor cells (OPCs) in acute injuries. OLs at the lesion site are highly sensitive to a damaging insult, provoked by Ca²⁺ overload after hyperexcitation originating from increased levels of transmitters. At the lesion site, differentiating OPCs can replace injured oligodendrocytes to guarantee proper myelination that is instrumental for healthy brain function. In contrast to finally differentiated and non-dividing OLs, OPCs are the most proliferative cells of the brain and their proliferation rate even increases after injury. There exist even evidence that OPCs might also generate some type of astrocyte beside OLs. Thereby, OPCs can contribute to the generation and maintenance of the glial scar. In the future, detailed knowledge of the molecular cues that help to prevent injury-evoked glial cell death and that control differentiation and myelination of the oligodendroglial lineage will be pivotal in developing novel therapeutic approaches.

Chronic inflammation and apoptosis propagate in ischemic cerebellum and heart of non-human primates

The major pathological consequences of cerebral ischemia are characterized by neurological deficits commonly ascribed to the infarcted tissue and its surrounding region, however, brain areas, as well as peripheral organs, distal from the original injury may manifest as subtle disease sequelae that can increase the risks of co-morbidities complicating the disease symptoms. To evaluate the vulnerability of the cerebellum and the heart to secondary injuries in the late stage of transient global ischemia (TGI) model in non-human primates (NHP), brain and heart tissues were collected at six months post-TGI. Unbiased stereological analyses of immunostained tissues showed significant Purkinje cells loss in lobule III and lobule IX of the TGI cerebellum relative to sham cerebellum, with corresponding upregulation of inflammatory and apoptotic cells. Similarly, TGI hearts revealed significant activation of inflammatory and apoptotic cells relative to sham hearts. Aberrant inflammation and apoptosis in the cerebellum and the heart of chronic TGI-exposed NHPs suggest distal secondary injuries manifesting both centrally and peripherally. These results advance our understanding on the sustained propagation of chronic secondary injuries after TGI, highlighting the need to develop therapeutic interventions targeting the brain, as well as the heart, in order to abrogate cerebral ischemia and its related co-morbidities.

Voluntary Exercise Induces Astrocytic Structural Plasticity in the Globus Pallidus

Changes in astrocyte morphology are primarily attributed to the fine processes where intimate connections with neurons form the tripartite synapse and participate in neurotransmission. Recent evidence has shown that neurotransmission induces dynamic synaptic remodeling, suggesting that astrocytic fine processes may adapt their morphologies to the activity in their environment. To illustrate such a neuron-glia relationship in morphological detail, we employed a double transgenic Olig2^CreER/WT; ROSA26-GAP43-EGFP mice, in which Olig2-lineage cells can be visualized and traced with membrane-targeted GFP. Although Olig2-lineage cells in the adult brain usually become mature oligodendrocytes or oligodendrocyte precursor cells with NG2-proteoglycan expression, we found a population of Olig2-lineage astrocytes with bushy morphology in several brain regions. The globus pallidus (GP) preferentially contains Olig2-lineage astrocytes. Since the GP exerts pivotal motor functions in the indirect pathway of the basal ganglionic circuit, we subjected the double transgenic mice to voluntary wheel running to activate the GP and examined morphological changes of Olig2-lineage astrocytes at both the light and electron microscopic levels. The double transgenic mice were divided into three groups: control group mice were kept in a cage with a locked running wheel for 3 weeks, Runner group were allowed free access to a running wheel for 3 weeks, and the Runner-Rest group took a sedentary 3-week rest after a 3-week running period. GFP immunofluorescence analysis and immunoelectron microscopy revealed that astrocytic fine processes elaborated complex arborization in the Runner mice, and reverted to simple morphology comparable to that of the Control group in the Runner-Rest group. Our results indicated that the fine processes of the Olig2-lineage astrocytes underwent plastic changes that correlated with overall running activities, suggesting that they actively participate in motor functions.

Zeb1 controls neuron differentiation and germinal zone exit by a mesenchymal-epithelial-like transition

In the developing mammalian brain, differentiating neurons mature morphologically via neuronal polarity programs. Despite discovery of polarity pathways acting concurrently with differentiation, it's unclear how neurons traverse complex polarity transitions or how neuronal progenitors delay polarization during development. We report that zinc finger and homeobox transcription factor-1 (Zeb1), a master regulator of epithelial polarity, controls neuronal differentiation by transcriptionally repressing polarity genes in neuronal progenitors. Necessity-sufficiency testing and functional target screening in cerebellar granule neuron progenitors (GNPs) reveal that Zeb1 inhibits polarization and retains progenitors in their germinal zone (GZ). Zeb1 expression is elevated in the Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) medulloblastoma subgroup originating from GNPs with persistent SHH activation. Restored polarity signaling promotes differentiation and rescues GZ exit, suggesting a model for future differentiative therapies. These results reveal unexpected parallels between neuronal differentiation and mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition and suggest that active polarity inhibition contributes to altered GZ exit in pediatric brain cancers.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.12717.001

During the formation of the brain, developing neurons are faced with a logistical problem. After newborn neurons form they must change in shape and move to their final location in the brain. Despite much speculation, little is known about these processes.

Neurons mature via the activity of several pathways that control the activity, or expression, of the neuron’s genes. One way of controlling such gene expression is through proteins called transcription factors. At the same time, the developing neurons go through a process called polarization, where different regions of the cell develop different characteristics. However, it was not known how the maturation and polarization processes are linked, or how the developing neurons actively regulate polarization.

By studying the developing mouse brain, Singh et al. found that a transcription factor called Zeb1 keeps neurons in a immature state, stopping them from becoming polarized. Further investigation revealed that Zeb1 does this by preventing the production of a group of proteins that helps to polarize the cells.

The most common type of malignant brain tumour in children is called a medulloblastoma. Singh et al. analyzed the genes expressed in mice that have a type of medulloblastoma that results from the constant activity of a gene called Sonic Hedgehog in developing neurons. This revealed that these tumour cells contain abnormally high levels of Zeb1, and so do not take on a polarized form. However, artificially restoring other factors that encourage the cells to polarize caused the neurons to mature normally. Further investigation is now needed to find out whether the activity of the Sonic Hedgehog gene regulates Zeb1 activity, and to discover whether inhibiting Zeb1 could prevent brain tumours from developing.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.12717.002

Characterization of host response to Cryptococcus neoformans through quantitative proteomic analysis of cryptococcal meningitis co-infected with HIV

Cryptococcal meningitis is the most common opportunistic fungal infection causing morbidity and mortality (>60%) in HIV-associated immunocompromised individuals caused by Cryptococcus neoformans. Molecular mechanisms of cryptococcal infection in brain have been studied using experimental animal models and cell lines. There are limited studies for the molecular understanding of cryptococcal meningitis in human brain. The proteins involved in the process of invasion and infection in human brain still remains obscure. To this end we carried out mass spectrometry-based quantitative proteomics of frontal lobe brain tissues from cryptococcal meningitis patients and controls to identify host proteins that are associated with the pathogenesis of cryptococcal meningitis. We identified 317 proteins to be differentially expressed (≥2-fold) from a total of 3423 human proteins. We found proteins involved in immune response and signal transduction to be differentially expressed in response to cryptococcal infection in human brain. Immune response proteins including complement factors, major histocompatibility proteins, proteins previously known to be involved in fungal invasion to brain such as caveolin 1 and actin were identified to be differentially expressed in cryptococcal meningitis brain tissues co-infected with HIV. We also validated the expression status of 5 proteins using immunohistochemistry. Overexpression of major histocompatibility complexes, class I, B (HLA-B), actin alpha 2 smooth muscle aorta (ACTA2) and caveolin 1 (CAV1) and downregulation of peripheral myelin protein 2 (PMP2) and alpha crystallin B chain (CRYAB) in cryptococcal meningitis were confirmed by IHC-based validation experiments. This study provides the brain proteome profile of cryptococcal meningitis co-infected with HIV for a better understanding of the host response associated with the disease.

Oligodendroglial defects during quakingviable cerebellar development

The selective RNA-binding protein Quaking I (QKI) has previously been implicated in RNA localization and stabilization, alternative splicing, cell proliferation, and differentiation. The spontaneously-occurring quakingviable (qkv) mutant mouse exhibits a sharply attenuated level of QKI in myelin-producing cells, including oligodendrocytes (OL) because of the loss of an OL-specific promoter. The disruption of QKI in OLs results in severe hypomyelination of the central nervous system, but the underlying cellular mechanisms remain to be fully elucidated. In this study, we used the qkv mutant mouse as a model to study myelination defects in the cerebellum. We found that oligodendroglial development and myelination are adversely affected in the cerebellum of qkv mice. Specifically, we identified an increase in the total number of oligodendroglial precursor cells in qkv cerebella, a substantial portion of which migrated into the grey matter. Furthermore, these mislocalized oligodendroglial precursor cells retained their migratory morphology late into development. Interestingly, a number of these presumptive oligodendrocyte precursors were found at the Purkinje cell layer in qkv cerebella, resembling Bergman glia. These findings indicate that QKI is involved in multiple aspects of oligodendroglial development. QKI disruption can impact the cell fate of oligodendrocyte precursor cells, their migration and differentiation, and ultimately myelination in the cerebellum. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 76: 972-982, 2016.

Phenotype overlap in glial cell populations: astroglia, oligodendroglia and NG-2(+) cells

The extent to which NG-2(+) cells form a distinct population separate from astrocytes is central to understanding whether this important cell class is wholly an oligodendrocyte precursor cell (OPC) or has additional functions akin to those classically ascribed to astrocytes. Early immuno-staining studies indicate that NG-2(+) cells do not express the astrocyte marker GFAP, but orthogonal reconstructions of double-labeled confocal image stacks here reveal a significant degree of co-expression in individual cells within post-natal day 10 (P10) and adult rat optic nerve (RON) and rat cortex. Extensive scanning of various antibody/fixation/embedding approaches identified a protocol for selective post-embedded immuno-gold labeling. This first ultrastructural characterization of identified NG-2(+) cells revealed populations of both OPCs and astrocytes in P10 RON. NG-2(+) astrocytes had classic features including the presence of glial filaments but low levels of glial filament expression were also found in OPCs and myelinating oligodendrocytes. P0 RONs contained few OPCs but positively identified astrocytes were observed to ensheath pre-myelinated axons in a fashion previously described as a definitive marker of the oligodendrocyte lineage. Astrocyte ensheathment was also apparent in P10 RONs, was absent from developing nodes of Ranvier and was never associated with compact myelin. Astrocyte processes were also shown to encapsulate some oligodendrocyte somata. The data indicate that common criteria for delineating astrocytes and oligodendroglia are insufficiently robust and that astrocyte features ascribed to OPCs may arise from misidentification.

The p38α mitogen-activated protein kinase is a key regulator of myelination and remyelination in the CNS

The p38α mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) is one of the serine/threonine kinases regulating a variety of biological processes, including cell-type specification, differentiation and migration. Previous in vitro studies using pharmacological inhibitors suggested that p38 MAPK is essential for oligodendrocyte (OL) differentiation and myelination. To investigate the specific roles of p38α MAPK in OL development and myelination in vivo, we generated p38α conditional knockout (CKO) mice under the PLP and nerve/glial antigen 2 (NG2) gene promoters, as these genes are specifically expressed in OL progenitor cells (OPCs). Our data revealed that myelin synthesis was completely inhibited in OLs differentiated from primary OPC cultures derived from the NG2 Cre-p38α CKO mouse brains. Although an in vivo myelination defect was not obvious after gross examination of these mice, electron microscopic analysis showed that the ultrastructure of myelin bundles was severely impaired. Moreover, the onset of myelination in the corpus callosum was delayed in the knockout mice compared with p38α fl/fl control mice. A delay in OL differentiation in the central nervous system was observed with concomitant downregulation in the expression of OPC- and OL-specific genes such as Olig1 and Zfp488 during early postnatal development. OPC proliferation was not affected during this time. These data indicate that p38α is a positive regulator of OL differentiation and myelination. Unexpectedly, we observed an opposite effect of p38α on remyelination in the cuprizone-induced demyelination model. The p38α CKO mice exhibited better remyelination capability compared with p38α fl/fl mice following demyelination. The opposing roles of p38α in myelination and remyelination could be due to a strong anti-inflammatory effect of p38α or a dual reciprocal regulatory action of p38α on myelin formation during development and on remyelination after demyelination.

Finding degrees of separation: experimental approaches for astroglial and oligodendroglial cell isolation and genetic targeting

The study of CNS glial cell function requires experimental methods to detect, purify, and manipulate each cell population with fidelity and specificity. With the identification and cloning of cell- and stage-specific markers, glial cell analysis techniques have grown beyond physical methods of tissue dissociation and cell culture, and become highly specific with immunoselection of cell cultures in vitro and genetic targeting in vivo. The unique plasticity of glial cells offers the potential for cell replacement therapies in neurological disease that utilize neural cells derived from transplanted neural stem and progenitor cells. In this mini-review, we outline general physical and genetic approaches for macroglial cell generation. We summarize cell culture methods to obtain astrocytes and oligodendrocytes and their precursors, from developing and adult tissue, as well as approaches to obtain human neural progenitor cells through the establishment of stem cells. We discuss popular targeting rodent strains designed for cell-specific detection, selection and manipulation of neuroglial cell progenitors and their committed progeny. Based on shared markers between astrocytes and stem cells, we discuss genetically modified mouse strains with overlapping expression, and highlight SOX-expressing strains available for targeting of stem and progenitor cell populations. We also include recently established mouse strains for detection, and tag-assisted RNA and miRNA analysis. This discussion aims to provide a brief overview of the rapidly expanding collection of experimental approaches and genetic resources for the isolation and targeting of macroglial cells, their sources, progeny and gene products to facilitate our understanding of their properties and potential application in pathology.

Shp2-dependent ERK signaling is essential for induction of Bergmann glia and foliation of the cerebellum

Folding of the cortex and the persistence of radial glia (RG)-like cells called Bergmann glia (BG) are hallmarks of the mammalian cerebellum. Similar to basal RG in the embryonic neocortex, BG maintain only basal processes and continuously express neural stem cell markers. Past studies had focused on the function of BG in granule cell migration and how granule cell progenitors (GCP) regulate cerebellar foliation. The molecular control of BG generation and its role in cerebellar foliation are less understood. Here, we have analyzed the function of the protein tyrosine phosphatase Shp2 in mice by deleting its gene Ptpn11 in the entire cerebellum or selectively in the GCP lineage. Deleting Ptpn11 in the entire cerebellum by En1-cre blocks transformation of RG into BG but preserves other major cerebellar cell types. In the absence of BG, inward invagination of GCP persists but is uncoupled from the folding of the Purkinje cell layer and the basement membrane, leading to disorganized lamination and an absence of cerebellar folia. In contrast, removing Ptpn11 in the GCP lineage by Atoh1-cre has no effect on cerebellar development, indicating that Shp2 is not cell autonomously required in GCP. Furthermore, we demonstrate that Ptpn11 interacts with Fgf8 and is essential for ERK activation in RG and nascent BG. Finally, expressing constitutively active MEK1 rescues BG formation and cerebellar foliation in Shp2-deficient cerebella. Our results demonstrate an essential role of Shp2 in BG specification via fibroblast growth factor/extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase signaling, and reveal a crucial function of BG in organizing cerebellar foliation.

Origin, lineage and function of cerebellar glia

The glial cells of the cerebellum, and particularly astrocytes and oligodendrocytes, are characterized by a remarkable phenotypic variety, in which highly peculiar morphological features are associated with specific functional features, unique among the glial cells of the entire CNS. Here, we provide a critical report about the present knowledge of the development of cerebellar glia, including lineage relationships between cerebellar neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes, the origins and the genesis of the repertoire of glial types, and the processes underlying their acquisition of mature morphological and functional traits. In parallel, we describe and discuss some fundamental roles played by specific categories of glial cells during cerebellar development. In particular, we propose that Bergmann glia exerts a crucial scaffolding activity that, together with the organizing function of Purkinje cells, is necessary to achieve the normal pattern of foliation and layering of the cerebellar cortex. Moreover, we discuss some of the functional tasks of cerebellar astrocytes and oligodendrocytes that are distinctive of cerebellar glia throughout the CNS. Notably, we report about the regulation of synaptic signalling in the molecular and granular layer mediated by Bergmann glia and parenchymal astrocytes, and the functional interaction between oligodendrocyte precursor cells and neurons. On the whole, this review provides an extensive overview of the available literature and some novel insights about the origin and differentiation of the variety of cerebellar glial cells and their function in the developing and mature cerebellum.