| First Author | Saadoun S | Year | 2005 |
| Journal | J Cell Sci | Volume | 118 |
| Issue | Pt 24 | Pages | 5691-8 |
| PubMed ID | 16303850 | Mgi Jnum | J:105611 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:3616117 | Doi | 10.1242/jcs.02680 |
| Citation | Saadoun S, et al. (2005) Involvement of aquaporin-4 in astroglial cell migration and glial scar formation. J Cell Sci 118(Pt 24):5691-8 |
| abstractText | Aquaporin-4, the major water-selective channel in astroglia throughout the central nervous system, facilitates water movement into and out of the brain. Here, we identify a novel role for aquaporin-4 in astroglial cell migration, as occurs during glial scar formation. Astroglia cultured from the neocortex of aquaporin-4-null mice had similar morphology, proliferation and adhesion, but markedly impaired migration determined by Transwell migration efficiency (18+/-2 vs 58+/-4% of cells migrated towards 10% serum in 8 hours; P<0.001) and wound healing rate (4.6 vs 7.0 mum/hour speed of wound edge; P<0.001) compared with wild-type mice. Transwell migration was similarly impaired (25+/-4% migrated cells) in wild-type astroglia after approximately 90% reduction in aquaporin-4 protein expression by RNA inhibition. Aquaporin-4 was polarized to the leading edge of the plasma membrane in migrating wild-type astroglia, where rapid shape changes were seen by video microscopy. Astroglial cell migration was enhanced by a small extracellular osmotic gradient, suggesting that aquaporin-4 facilitates water influx across the leading edge of a migrating cell. In an in vivo model of reactive gliosis and astroglial cell migration produced by cortical stab injury, glial scar formation was remarkably impaired in aquaporin-4-null mice, with reduced migration of reactive astroglia towards the site of injury. Our findings provide evidence for the involvement of aquaporin-4 in astroglial cell migration, which occurs during glial scar formation in brain injury, stroke, tumor and focal abscess. |
