First Author | Oishi K | Year | 2009 |
Journal | Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A | Volume | 106 |
Issue | 31 | Pages | 13064-9 |
PubMed ID | 19549840 | Mgi Jnum | J:151894 |
Mgi Id | MGI:4355490 | Doi | 10.1073/pnas.0808400106 |
Citation | Oishi K, et al. (2009) Selective induction of neocortical GABAergic neurons by the PDK1-Akt pathway through activation of Mash1. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 106(31):13064-9 |
abstractText | Extracellular stimuli regulate neuronal differentiation and subtype specification during brain development, although the intracellular signaling pathways that mediate these processes remain largely unclear. We now show that the PDK1-Akt pathway regulates differentiation of telencephalic neural precursor cells (NPCs). Active Akt promotes differentiation of NPC into gamma-aminobutyric acid-containing (GABAergic) but not glutamatergic neurons. Disruption of the Pdk1 gene or expression of dominant-negative forms of Akt suppresses insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 enhancement of NPC differentiation into neurons in vitro and production of neocortical GABAergic neurons in vivo. Furthermore, active Akt increased the protein levels and transactivation activity of Mash1, a proneural basic helix-loop-helix protein required for the generation of neocortical GABAergic neurons, and Mash1 was required for Akt-induced neuronal differentiation. These results have unveiled an unexpected role of the PDK1-Akt pathway: a key mediator of extracellular signals regulating the production of neocortical GABAergic neurons. |