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New Neurons Clear the Path of Astrocytic Processes for Their Rapid Migration in the Adult Brain.

, Koike M , Hirota Y , Uchiyama Y , Wu JY , Lu Q , Tessier-Lavigne M , Alvarez-Buylla A , Okano H , Rubenstein JL , Sawamoto K . Kaneko N , Marín O , Koike M , Hirota Y , Uchiyama Y , Wu JY , Lu Q , Tessier-Lavigne M , Alvarez-Buylla A , Okano H , Rubenstein JL , Sawamoto K .

FULL TEXT Neuron. 2010 Jul 29; 67 (two) :213-223.

Neuron in PREVIEW : Going Tubular in the Rostral Migratory Stream: Remodel Neurons in the Astrocyte Migration Directional Tubes to Promote Adult Brain

Research Highlights in Nature : Tunnelling brain cells

Research Highlights in Nature Reviews Neuroscience: Neuron-Glia Interactions A signal tunnel

Nagoya City University press release

Group study of the delay is Assistant Professor and Professor Sawamoto Naoko Kaneko, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medicine (regenerative medicine) has elucidated the mechanism for moving long distances at high speed made the new nerve cells in the brain. This work is published in the American scientific journal Neuron.

In recent years, stem cells exist even in the adult brain has shown that new nerve cells are made. Neurons in the brain to work like this, you must go to places far from made. The brain in a number of dense cells, or nerve cells to move and how it was unknown until now. The study, by the way how Tsukurushi one's way through the tunnel-like cells surrounding the new neurons have been elucidated for the first time can move long distances at high speed.

This mechanism may be useful in regenerative medicine by developing a method to treat brain disorders such as periventricular leukomalacia and cerebral infarction, for example.

This study, in addition to the University, Juntendo University, Keio University, the University of El Mig Hernandez (Spain), Northwestern University (USA), City of Hope Medical Institute (USA), University of California at San Francisco (USA) Genentech, Inc. (United States) participated in international collaborative research.

Background: Recent studies, stem cells are also present in the adult brain, new nerve cells (neurons) has become clear that been making. Present along the inside wall of the lateral ventricle of the brain "subventricular zone" portion, called the place that made the most active neurons in the brain. Nerve cells in the subventricular zone is made, and travel long distances to the front of the brain, the cells responsible and mature into a variety of functions related to the sense of smell. When brain cells die by a number of diseases such as cerebral infarction, and play some of the neurons damaged by moving to the site. However, the brain is a dense tissue cells and fibers, or are moving and how far in that these neurons, did not know how it works. Here we are to focus on making it through the tunnel is another type of cell called astrocytes, neurons examined in detail how it works.

Research Methods: Analysis of the brains of mice lacking the gene encoding a protein involved in the regulation of cell migration SLIT can reduce the speed of movement of neurons from the subventricular zone, the shape of astrocytes form a tunnel have been found to be irregular. ROBO examined the distribution of the SLIT receptor protein was localized in astrocytes that form the tunnel. Using the culture method different was analyzed in detail how to move and change in cell shape, and binding to ROBO present on the surface of astrocytes that SLIT secreted by neurons in the brain retracted astrocytes found that the tunnel structure is built.

Conclusion: By working in astrocytes surrounding the neurons that secrete the protein SLIT move, it became clear that a new mechanism for performing maintenance on their tunnel for high-speed movement.

Potential for medical applications: it becomes possible to reach efficient site you want to control the movement of neurons in the brain and is now brain diseases difficult to treat, periventricular white matter and cerebral infarction, for example osteomalacia and neurodegenerative disorders, regenerative capacity and utilization are having our own "regenerative medicine" may be useful in developing a method to treat the. Also, transplanted nerve cells in regenerative medicine using cells created iPS, is considered important to control the movement of cells after transplantation.