| First Author | Ueki Y | Year | 2015 |
| Journal | Development | Volume | 142 |
| Issue | 3 | Pages | 533-43 |
| PubMed ID | 25605781 | Mgi Jnum | J:238901 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:5824489 | Doi | 10.1242/dev.118745 |
| Citation | Ueki Y, et al. (2015) A transient wave of BMP signaling in the retina is necessary for Muller glial differentiation. Development 142(3):533-43 |
| abstractText | The primary glial cells in the retina, the Muller glia, differentiate from retinal progenitors in the first postnatal week. CNTF/LIF/STAT3 signaling has been shown to promote their differentiation; however, another key glial differentiation signal, BMP, has not been examined during this period of Muller glial differentiation. In the course of our analysis of the BMP signaling pathway, we observed a transient wave of Smad1/5/8 signaling in the inner nuclear layer at the end of the first postnatal week, from postnatal day (P) 5 to P9, after the end of neurogenesis. To determine the function of this transient wave, we blocked BMP signaling during this period in vitro or in vivo, using either a BMP receptor antagonist or noggin (Nog). Either treatment leads to a reduction in expression of the Muller glia-specific genes Rlbp1 and Glul, and the failure of many of the Muller glia to repress the bipolar/photoreceptor gene Otx2. These changes in normal Muller glial differentiation result in permanent disruption of the retina, including defects in the outer limiting membrane, rosette formation and a reduction in functional acuity. Our results thus show that Muller glia require a transient BMP signal at the end of neurogenesis to fully repress the neural gene expression program and to promote glial gene expression. |
