Autophagy‐related gene Atg5 is essential for astrocyte differentiation in the developing mouse cortex |
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Authors: | Huimin Qiao Xiaohui Lv Qingli Liang Zixiao Shi Wenlong Xia Fen Ji Jianwei Jiao |
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Institution: | 1. The State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, , Beijing, China;2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, , Beijing, China |
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Abstract: | Astrocyte differentiation is essential for late embryonic brain development, and autophagy is active during this process. However, it is unknown whether and how autophagy regulates astrocyte differentiation. Here, we show that Atg5, which is necessary for autophagosome formation, regulates astrocyte differentiation. Atg5 deficiency represses the generation of astrocytes in vitro and in vivo. Conversely, Atg5 overexpression increases the number of astrocytes substantially. We show that Atg5 activates the JAK2‐STAT3 pathway by degrading the inhibitory protein SOCS2. The astrocyte differentiation defect caused by Atg5 loss can be rescued by human Atg5 overexpression, STAT3 overexpression, and SOCS2 knockdown. Together, these data demonstrate that Atg5 regulates astrocyte differentiation, with potential implications for brain disorders with autophagy deficiency. |
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Keywords: | astrocyte differentiation autophagy cortical development |
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