Pitx3 regulates tyrosine hydroxylase expression in the substantia nigra and identifies a subgroup of mesencephalic dopaminergic progenitor neurons during mouse development

Recent studies of mouse mutant aphakia have implicated the homeobox gene Pitx3 in the survival of substantia nigra dopaminergic neurons, the degeneration of which causes Parkinson's disease. To directly investigate a role for Pitx3 in midbrain DA neuron development, we have analysed a line of Pitx3-null mice that also carry an eGFP reporter under the control of the endogenous Pitx3 promoter. We show that the lack of Pitx3 resulted in a loss of nascent substantia nigra dopaminergic neurons at the beginning of their final differentiation. Pitx3 deficiency also caused a loss of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) expression specifically in the substantia nigra neurons. Therefore, our study provides the first direct evidence that the aphakia allele of Pitx3 is a hypomorph and that Pitx3 is required for the regulation of TH expression in midbrain dopaminergic neurons as well as the generation and/or maintenance of these cells. Furthermore, using the targeted GFP reporter as a midbrain dopaminergic lineage marker, we have identified previously unrecognised ontogenetically distinct subpopulations of dopaminergic cells within the ventral midbrain based on their temporal and topographical expression of Pitx3 and TH. Such an expression pattern may provide the molecular basis for the specific dependence of substantia nigra DA neurons on Pitx3.     

诱导人脐血间充质干细胞分化为多巴胺能神经元样细胞的研究

目的：探讨人羊膜上皮细胞条件培养液(ACM)及SHH,FGF8诱导人脐血间充质干细胞（CB-MSCs）分化为多巴胺( dopamine,DA )能神经元样细胞的作用及机制。方法：利用沉降红细胞、密度梯度离心和贴壁筛选法纯化CB-MSCs,加入ACM及SHH,FGF8分为CON,ACM,SHH+FGF8,ACM+SHH+FGF8四组诱导48h后,免疫细胞化学染色鉴定分化细胞的DA神经元表型。应用高压液相色谱技术测定细胞培养上清中DA含量,并应用Realtime PCR方法观察DA能神经元发育过程中的相关基因En-1,Foxa2,Lmx1b,Gli-1,Pitx3,Nurr1以及Ngn2的表达。结果：加诱导剂诱导48h后,各诱导组的TH和DAT的表达量均比对照组高。早期的转录因子En1,Foxa2 在各组中均有表达;而Pitx3,Lmx1b表达在各诱导组中;Lmx1b在ACM+SHH+FGF8组中表达最高;Pitx3在各诱导组中均有表达且无明显差异。Nurr1,Ngn2在SHH+FGF8组中表达很强。结论：ACM及SHH,FGF8可诱导脐血间充质干细胞分化为DA能神经元样细胞,其作用机制与多巴胺能神经元发育过程中的各种基因En-1,Foxa2,Lmx1b,Gli-1,Pitx3,Nurr1以及Ngn2相关。     

Reduced Nurrl Expression Increases the Vulnerability of Mesencephalic Dopamine Neurons to MPTP-Induced Injury

Mutation in the Nurr1 gene, a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily, causes selective agenesis of dopaminergic neurons in the midbrain of null mice. Homozygous Nurr1 knockout mice (Nurr1-/-) die 1 day after birth, but heterozygous mice (Nurr1 +/-) survive postnatally without obvious locomotor deficits. Although adult Nurr1 +/- mice show significantly reduced Nurr1 protein levels in the substantia nigra (SN), they display a normal range of tyrosine hydroxylase-positive neuron numbers in the SN and normal levels of dopamine in the striatum. The reduction in Nurr1 expression in Nurr1 +/- mice, however, confers increased vulnerability to the selective dopaminergic neurotoxin 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) compared with wild-type (Nurr1 +/+) mice. This study suggests that Nurr1 may play an important role in maintaining mature mesencephalic dopaminergic neuron function and that a defect in Nurr1 may increase susceptibility to SN injury.