AP-1cFos/JunB/miR-200a regulate the pro-regenerative glial cell response during axolotl spinal cord regeneration

Commun Biol. 2019 Mar 6:2:91. doi: 10.1038/s42003-019-0335-4. eCollection 2019.

Abstract

Salamanders have the remarkable ability to functionally regenerate after spinal cord transection. In response to injury, GFAP+ glial cells in the axolotl spinal cord proliferate and migrate to replace the missing neural tube and create a permissive environment for axon regeneration. Molecular pathways that regulate the pro-regenerative axolotl glial cell response are poorly understood. Here we show axolotl glial cells up-regulate AP-1cFos/JunB after injury, which promotes a pro-regenerative glial cell response. Injury induced upregulation of miR-200a in glial cells supresses c-Jun expression in these cells. Inhibition of miR-200a during regeneration causes defects in axonal regrowth and transcriptomic analysis revealed that miR-200a inhibition leads to differential regulation of genes involved with reactive gliosis, the glial scar, extracellular matrix remodeling and axon guidance. This work identifies a unique role for miR-200a in inhibiting reactive gliosis in axolotl glial cells during spinal cord regeneration.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Ambystoma mexicanum
  • Animals
  • Axons / metabolism*
  • Biomarkers
  • Fluorescent Antibody Technique
  • Gene Expression Regulation*
  • Genes, jun
  • Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / genetics
  • Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / metabolism
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Mice
  • MicroRNAs / genetics*
  • Models, Biological
  • Neuroglia / metabolism*
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • Protein Binding
  • Spinal Cord Regeneration / genetics*
  • Transcription Factor AP-1 / genetics*
  • Transcription Factor AP-1 / metabolism

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein
  • MicroRNAs
  • Transcription Factor AP-1