First published online March 22, 2006
Journal of Cell Science 119, 704e (2006)
© The Company of Biologists Limited
Stem cells in an RNA bind
The proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells (NSCs) is partly controlled by RNA-binding proteins (RBPs). While the RBP Musashi 1 (Msi1) prolongs NSC proliferation by translationally repressing its target RNAs, neural ELAVs (nELAVs) induce neuronal differentiation by stabilizing and/or promoting translation of transcripts that contain an AU-rich element (ARE). Some data indicate that Msi1 and nELAVs are expressed sequentially during mouse brain development but, on p. 1442, Antonia Ratti and co-workers report that these proteins are actually co-expressed in the neurogenic region of the adult mouse brain where NSCs reside. They show that nELAV proteins bind to Msi1 RNA through an ARE and that the nELAV family member HuD stabilizes Msi1 RNA in vitro and increases its translation in vivo. The authors propose that nELAVs stimulate Msi1 expression as part of a multistep molecular cascade that leads from proliferating NSCs to differentiated neurons. The nELAV/Msi1 pathway may thus represent a potential therapeutic target for the enhancement of neurogenesis in treatment of neurodegenerative disorders.
Related articles in JCS:
- A role for the ELAV RNA-binding proteins in neural stem cells: stabilization of Msi1 mRNA
- Antonia Ratti, Claudia Fallini, Lidia Cova, Roberto Fantozzi, Cinzia Calzarossa, Eleonora Zennaro, Alessia Pascale, Alessandro Quattrone, and Vincenzo Silani
JCS 2006 119: 1442-1452.
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