Wefers Annika K, Lindner Sven, Schulte Johannes H, Schüller Ulrich
Center for Neuropathology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Feodor-Lynen-Strasse 23, D-81377, Munich, Germany.
Department of Neuropathology, Institute of Pathology, Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
Cerebellum. 2017 Feb;16(1):122-131. doi: 10.1007/s12311-016-0774-0.
LIN28B is a homologue of the RNA-binding protein LIN28A and regulates gene expression during development and carcinogenesis. It is strongly upregulated in a variety of brain tumors, such as medulloblastoma, embryonal tumor with multilayered rosettes (ETMR), atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor (AT/RT), or glioblastoma, but the effect of an in vivo overexpression of LIN28B on the developing central nervous system is unknown. We generated transgenic mice that either overexpressed Lin28b in Math1-positive cerebellar granule neuron precursors or in a broad range of Nestin-positive neural precursors. Sections of the cerebellar vermis from adult Math1-Cre::lsl-Lin28b mice had an additional subfissure in lobule IV. Vermes from p0 and p7 Nestin-Cre::lsl-Lin28b mice appeared normal, but we found a pronounced vermal hypersublobulation at p15 and p21 in these mice. Also, the external granule cell layer (EGL) was thicker at p15 than in controls, contained more proliferating cells, and persisted up to p21. Consistently, some Pax6- and NeuN-positive cells were present in the EGL of Nestin-Cre::lsl-Lin28b mice even at p21, and we detected more NeuN-positive granule neuron precursors in the molecular layer (ML) as compared to control. Finally, we found some residual Pax2-positive precursors of inhibitory interneurons in the ML of Nestin-Cre::lsl-Lin28b mice at p21, which have already disappeared in controls. We conclude that while overexpression of LIN28B in Nestin-positive cells does not lead to tumor formation, it results in a protracted development of granule cells and inhibitory interneurons and leads to a hypersublobulation of the cerebellar vermis.
LIN28B是RNA结合蛋白LIN28A的同源物,在发育和致癌过程中调节基因表达。它在多种脑肿瘤中强烈上调,如髓母细胞瘤、多层菊形团胚胎性肿瘤(ETMR)、非典型畸胎样/横纹肌样肿瘤(AT/RT)或胶质母细胞瘤,但LIN28B在体内过表达对发育中的中枢神经系统的影响尚不清楚。我们构建了转基因小鼠,使其在Math1阳性的小脑颗粒神经元前体细胞或广泛的Nestin阳性神经前体细胞中过表达Lin28b。成年Math1-Cre::lsl-Lin28b小鼠小脑蚓部切片在小叶IV有一个额外的副裂。p0和p7的Nestin-Cre::lsl-Lin28b小鼠的蚓部看起来正常,但我们发现在这些小鼠的p15和p21时出现明显的蚓部超小叶化。此外,p15时的外颗粒细胞层(EGL)比对照组厚,含有更多增殖细胞,并持续到p21。一致地,即使在p21时,Nestin-Cre::lsl-Lin28b小鼠的EGL中也存在一些Pax6和NeuN阳性细胞,并且与对照组相比,我们在分子层(ML)中检测到更多NeuN阳性的颗粒神经元前体细胞。最后,我们在p21时的Nestin-Cre::lsl-Lin28b小鼠的ML中发现了一些抑制性中间神经元的残余Pax2阳性前体细胞,而这些细胞在对照组中已经消失。我们得出结论,虽然LIN28B在Nestin阳性细胞中的过表达不会导致肿瘤形成,但它会导致颗粒细胞和抑制性中间神经元的发育延长,并导致小脑蚓部超小叶化。