Smejkalová Barbora, Ornaghi Marta, Štěpánková Kateřina, Schiweck Juliane, Machová Urdzíková Lucia, Huelse Robert, Mueller Susanne, Boehm-Sturm Philipp, Kwok Jessica C F, Fawcett James, Murk Kai, Eickholt Britta J, Jendelová Pavla
Institute of Experimental Medicine, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic.
Second Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
Glia. 2025 Sep;73(9):1910-1924. doi: 10.1002/glia.70048. Epub 2025 Jun 11.
Spinal cord injury (SCI) results in significant disruption of nerve fibers responsible for transmitting signals between the brain and body, often leading to partial or complete motor, sensory, and autonomic dysfunction below the injury site. Astrocytes are an important component in scar formation, crucial for suppression of injury propagation, effective wound healing, and the regulation of neuronal plasticity. Here, we identify the role of the actin-binding protein Drebrin (DBN) in reactive astrogliosis following SCI. SCI induces the upregulation of DBN in astrocytes, which controls immediate injury containment but also the long-term preservation of tissue integrity and healing in the spinal cord. DBN knockout results in enlarged spinal cord lesions, increased immune cell infiltration, and neurodegeneration. Mechanistically, DBN loss disrupts the polarization of scar border-forming astrocytes, leading to impaired encapsulation of the injury. In summary, DBN serves as a pivotal regulator of SCI outcome by modulating astrocytic polarity, which is essential for establishing a protective barrier confining the lesion site.
脊髓损伤(SCI)会导致负责在大脑和身体之间传递信号的神经纤维严重受损,常常导致损伤部位以下出现部分或完全的运动、感觉及自主神经功能障碍。星形胶质细胞是瘢痕形成的重要组成部分,对于抑制损伤扩散、有效伤口愈合及神经元可塑性调节至关重要。在此,我们确定了肌动蛋白结合蛋白德雷布林(DBN)在脊髓损伤后反应性星形胶质细胞增生中的作用。脊髓损伤会诱导星形胶质细胞中DBN上调,其不仅控制损伤的即时局限,还对脊髓组织完整性的长期维持及愈合起作用。DBN基因敲除导致脊髓损伤灶扩大、免疫细胞浸润增加及神经退行性变。从机制上讲,DBN缺失会破坏形成瘢痕边界的星形胶质细胞的极化,导致损伤包裹受损。总之,DBN通过调节星形胶质细胞极性作为脊髓损伤结局的关键调节因子,而星形胶质细胞极性对于建立限制损伤部位的保护屏障至关重要。