Abstract
Astrocyte differentiation, which occurs late in brain development, is largely dependent on the activation of a transcription factor, STAT3. We show that astrocytes, as judged by glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) expression, never emerge from neuroepithelial cells on embryonic day (E) 11.5 even when STAT3 is activated, in contrast to E14.5 neuroepithelial cells. A CpG dinucleotide within a STAT3 binding element in the GFAP promoter is highly methylated in E11.5 neuroepithelial cells, but is demethylated in cells responsive to the STAT3 activation signal to express GFAP. This CpG methylation leads to inaccessibility of STAT3 to the binding element. We suggest that methylation of a cell type-specific gene promoter is a pivotal event in regulating lineage specification in the developing brain.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
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Animals
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Astrocytes / cytology
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Astrocytes / drug effects
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Astrocytes / physiology*
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Cell Differentiation / physiology
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Cells, Cultured
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CpG Islands / genetics
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DNA Methylation*
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DNA-Binding Proteins / genetics
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DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism*
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Epithelial Cells
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Fetus / physiology
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Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / genetics*
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Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / metabolism
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Growth Inhibitors / pharmacology
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Humans
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Interleukin-6*
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Leukemia Inhibitory Factor
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Lymphokines / pharmacology
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Mice
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Microscopy, Fluorescence
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Neurons / drug effects
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Neurons / physiology*
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Promoter Regions, Genetic
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Rats
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STAT3 Transcription Factor
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Signal Transduction / physiology
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Telencephalon / cytology
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Telencephalon / embryology*
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Telencephalon / metabolism
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Trans-Activators / genetics
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Trans-Activators / metabolism*
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Transcription, Genetic
Substances
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DNA-Binding Proteins
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Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein
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Growth Inhibitors
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Interleukin-6
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LIF protein, human
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Leukemia Inhibitory Factor
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Lif protein, mouse
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Lymphokines
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STAT3 Transcription Factor
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STAT3 protein, human
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Stat3 protein, mouse
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Stat3 protein, rat
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Trans-Activators