The endocannabinoid system promotes astroglial differentiation by acting on neural progenitor cells.

T. Aguado
Journal of Neuroscience. 2006-02-01; 26(5): 1551-1561
DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3101-05.2006

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1. J Neurosci. 2006 Feb 1;26(5):1551-61.

The endocannabinoid system promotes astroglial differentiation by acting on
neural progenitor cells.

Aguado T(1), Palazuelos J, Monory K, Stella N, Cravatt B, Lutz B, Marsicano G,
Kokaia Z, Guzmán M, Galve-Roperh I.

Author information:
(1)Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I, School of Biology,
Complutense University, 28040 Madrid, Spain.

Endocannabinoids exert an important neuromodulatory role via presynaptic
cannabinoid CB1 receptors and may also participate in the control of neural cell
death and survival. The function of the endocannabinoid system has been
extensively studied in differentiated neurons, but its potential role in neural
progenitor cells remains to be elucidated. Here we show that the CB1 receptor and
the endocannabinoid-inactivating enzyme fatty acid amide hydrolase are expressed,
both in vitro and in vivo, in postnatal radial glia (RC2+ cells) and in adult
nestin type I (nestin(+)GFAP+) neural progenitor cells. Cell culture experiments
show that CB1 receptor activation increases progenitor proliferation and
differentiation into astroglial cells in vitro. In vivo analysis evidences that,
in postnatal CB1(-/-) mouse brain, progenitor proliferation and astrogliogenesis
are impaired. Likewise, in adult CB1-deficient mice, neural progenitor
proliferation is decreased but is increased in fatty acid amide
hydrolase-deficient mice. In addition, endocannabinoid signaling controls neural
progenitor differentiation in the adult brain by promoting astroglial
differentiation of newly born cells. These results show a novel physiological
role of endocannabinoids, which constitute a new family of signaling cues
involved in the regulation of neural progenitor cell function.

DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3101-05.2006
PMID: 16452678 [Indexed for MEDLINE]

Auteurs Bordeaux Neurocampus