FGF2 plays a key role in embryonic cerebrospinal fluid trophic properties over chick embryo neuroepithelial stem cells

Manual drainage of the zebrafish embryonic brain ventricles

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is a protein rich fluid contained within the brain ventricles. It is present during early vertebrate embryonic development and persists throughout life. Adult CSF is thought to cushion the brain, remove waste, and carry secreted molecules(1,2). In the adult and older embryo, the majority of CSF is made by the choroid plexus, a series of highly vascularized secretory regions located adjacent to the brain ventricles(3-5). In zebrafish, the choroid plexus is fully formed at 144 hours post fertilization (hpf)(6). Prior to this, in both zebrafish and other vertebrate embryos including mouse, a significant amount of embryonic CSF (eCSF) is present . These data and studies in chick suggest that the neuroepithelium is secretory early in development and may be the major source of eCSF prior to choroid plexus development(7). eCSF contains about three times more protein than adult CSF, suggesting that it may have an important role during development(8,9). Studies in chick and mouse demonstrate that secreted factors in the eCSF, fluid pressure, or a combination of these, are important for neurogenesis, gene expression, cell proliferation, and cell survival in the neuroepithelium(10-20). Proteomic analyses of human, rat, mouse, and chick eCSF have identified many proteins that may be necessary for CSF function. These include extracellular matrix components, apolipoproteins, osmotic pressure regulating proteins, and proteins involved in cell death and proliferation(21-24). However, the complex functions of the eCSF are largely unknown. We have developed a method for removing eCSF from zebrafish brain ventricles, thus allowing for identification of eCSF components and for analysis of the eCSF requirement during development. Although more eCSF can be collected from other vertebrate systems with larger embryos, eCSF can be collected from the earliest stages of zebrafish development, and under genetic or environmental conditions that lead to abnormal brain ventricle volume or morphology. Removal and collection of eCSF allows for mass spectrometric analysis, investigation of eCSF function, and reintroduction of select factors into the ventricles to assay their function. Thus the accessibility of the early zebrafish embryo allows for detailed analysis of eCSF function during development.

The path from the choroid plexus to the subventricular zone: go with the flow!

In adult mammals, under physiological conditions, neurogenesis, the process of generating new functional neurons from precursor cells, occurs mainly in two brain areas: the subgranular zone in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus, and the subventricular zone (SVZ) lining the walls of the brain lateral ventricles. Taking into account the location of the SVZ and the cytoarchitecture of this periventricular neural progenitor cell niche, namely the fact that the slow dividing primary progenitor cells (type B cells) of the SVZ extend an apical primary cilium toward the brain ventricular space which is filled with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), it becomes likely that the composition of the CSF can modulate both self-renewal, proliferation and differentiation of SVZ neural stem cells. The major site of CSF synthesis is the choroid plexus (CP); quite surprisingly, however, it is still largely unknown the contribution of molecules specifically secreted by the adult CP as modulators of the SVZ adult neurogenesis. This is even more relevant in light of recent evidence showing the ability of the CP to adapt its transcriptome and secretome to various physiologic and pathologic stimuli. By giving particular emphasizes to growth factors and axonal guidance molecules we will illustrate how CP-born molecules might play an important role in the SVZ niche cell population dynamics.

In vitro effects of fetal rat cerebrospinal fluid on viability and neuronal differentiation of PC12 cells

Background

Fetal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) contains many neurotrophic and growth factors and has been shown to be capable of supporting viability, proliferation and differentiation of primary cortical progenitor cells. Rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells have been widely used as an in vitro model of neuronal differentiation since they differentiate into sympathetic neuron-like cells in response to growth factors. This study aimed to establish whether PC12 cells were responsive to fetal CSF and therefore whether they might be used to investigate CSF physiology in a stable cell line lacking the time-specific response patterns of primary cells previously described.

Methods

In vitro assays of viability, proliferation and differentiation were carried out after incubation of PC12 cells in media with and without addition of fetal rat CSF. An MTT tetrazolium assay was used to assess cell viability and/or cell proliferation. Expression of neural differentiation markers (MAP-2 and β-III tubulin) was determined by immunocytochemistry. Formation and growth of neurites was measured by image analysis.

Results

PC12 cells differentiate into neuronal cell types when exposed to bFGF. Viability and cell proliferation of PC12 cells cultured in CSF-supplemented medium from E18 rat fetuses were significantly elevated relative to the control group. Neuronal-like outgrowths from cells appeared following the application of bFGF or CSF from E17 and E19 fetuses but not E18 or E20 CSF. Beta-III tubulin was expressed in PC12 cells cultured in any media except that supplemented with E18 CSF. MAP-2 expression was found in control cultures and in those with E17 and E19 CSF. MAP2 was located in neurites except in E17 CSF when the whole cell was positive.

Conclusions

Fetal rat CSF supports viability and stimulates proliferation and neurogenic differentiation of PC12 cells in an age-dependent way, suggesting that CSF composition changes with age. This feature may be important in vivo for the promotion of normal brain development. There were significant differences in the effects on PC12 cells compared to primary cortical cells. This suggests there is an interaction in vivo between developmental stage of cells and the composition of CSF. The data presented here support an important, perhaps driving role for CSF composition, specifically neurotrophic factors, in neuronal survival, proliferation and differentiation. The effects of CSF on PC12 cells can thus be used to further investigate the role of CSF in driving development without the confounding issues of using primary cells.

Expansion, folding, and abnormal lamination of the chick optic tectum after intraventricular injections of FGF2

Comparative research has shown that evolutionary increases in brain region volumes often involve delays in neurogenesis. However, little is known about the influence of such changes on subsequent development. To get at this question, we injected FGF2--which delays cell cycle exit in mammalian neocortex--into the cerebral ventricles of chicks at embryonic day (ED) 4. This manipulation alters the development of the optic tectum dramatically. By ED7, the tectum of FGF2-treated birds is abnormally thin and has a reduced postmitotic layer, consistent with a delay in neurogenesis. FGF2 treatment also increases tectal volume and ventricular surface area, disturbs tectal lamination, and creates small discontinuities in the pia mater overlying the tectum. On ED12, the tectum is still larger in FGF2-treated embryos than in controls. However, lateral portions of the FGF2-treated tectum now exhibit volcano-like laminar disturbances that coincide with holes in the pia, and the caudomedial tectum exhibits prominent folds. To explain these observations, we propose that the tangential expansion of the ventricular surface in FGF2-treated tecta outpaces the expansion of the pial surface, creating abnormal mechanical stresses. Two alternative means of alleviating these stresses are tectal foliation and the formation of pial holes. The latter probably alter signaling gradients required for normal cell migration and may generate abnormal patterns of cerebrospinal fluid flow; both abnormalities would generate disturbances in tectal lamination. Overall, our findings suggest that evolutionary expansion of sheet-like, laminated brain regions requires a concomitant expansion of the pia mater.

Adult cerebrospinal fluid does not support neurogenesis from fetal rat neural stem cells

The purpose was to study the effect of human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) on differentiation of rat neural stem cells (NSCs), and thus explore the feasibility of transplanting stem cells via lumbar puncture clinically. Rat NSCs derived from fetal brain were divided into two groups, and cultured in DMEM/F12 supplemented with 10 % FBS and human CSF, respectively. Cellular growth was observed with an inverted microscope, and immunostaining was used to analyze differentiation of NSCs in both groups. Cells of fetal brain showed shapes of spindle or star with minor sprouts at fifth day post-culture, and stained with nestin. NSCs in the control group differentiated into neurons, with positive staining to NSE, when cultured further in DMEM/F12 supplemented with 10 % FBS. While NSCs in the experiment group, cultured in CSF, differentiated into astroglia on eighth day, with positive immunostaining to GFAP. The new neurons dissolved rapidly when they were cultured in CSF. Human CSF cannot promote NSCs to differentiation toward neuron, nor support newborn neurons survival. It seems an inappropriate approach to transplant stem cells through CSF.

The cerebrospinal fluid: regulator of neurogenesis, behavior, and beyond

The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) has attracted renewed interest as an active signaling milieu that regulates brain development, homeostasis, and disease. Advances in proteomics research have enabled an improved characterization of the CSF from development through adulthood, and key neurogenic signaling pathways that are transmitted via the CSF are now being elucidated. Due to its immediate contact with neural stem cells in the developing and adult brain, the CSF's ability to swiftly distribute signals across vast distances in the central nervous system is opening avenues to novel and exciting therapeutic approaches. In this review, we will discuss the development of the choroid plexus-CSF system, and review the current literature on how the CSF actively regulates mammalian brain development, behavior, and responses to traumatic brain injury.

The Long and the Short of it: Gene and Environment Interactions During Early Cortical Development and Consequences for Long-Term Neurological Disease

Cortical development is a complex amalgamation of proliferation, migration, differentiation, and circuit formation. These processes follow defined timescales and are controlled by a combination of intrinsic and extrinsic factors. It is currently unclear how robust and flexible these processes are and whether the developing brain has the capacity to recover from disruptions. What is clear is that there are a number of cognitive disorders or conditions that are elicited as a result of disrupted cortical development, although it may take a long time for the full pathophysiology of the conditions to be realized clinically. The critical window for the manifestation of a neurodevelopmental disorder is prolonged, and there is the potential for a complex interplay between genes and environment. While there have been extended investigations into the genetic basis of a number of neurological and mental disorders, limited definitive associations have been discovered. Many environmental factors, including inflammation and stress, have been linked to neurodevelopmental disorders, and it may be that a better understanding of the interplay between genes and environment will speed progress in this field. In particular, the development of the brain needs to be considered in the context of the whole materno-fetal unit as the degree of the metabolic, endocrine, or inflammatory responses, for example, will greatly influence the environment in which the brain develops. This review will emphasize the importance of extending neurodevelopmental studies to the contribution of the placenta, vasculature, cerebrospinal fluid, and to maternal and fetal immune response. These combined investigations are more likely to reveal genetic and environmental factors that influence the different stages of neuronal development and potentially lead to the better understanding of the etiology of neurological and mental disorders such as autism, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, and schizophrenia.

Neurogenesis at the brain-cerebrospinal fluid interface

Cerebral cortical progenitor cells can be classified into several different types, and each progenitor type integrates cell-intrinsic and cell-extrinsic cues to regulate neurogenesis. On one hand, cell-intrinsic mechanisms that depend upon appropriate apical-basal polarity are established by adherens junctions and apical complex proteins and are particularly important in progenitors with apical processes contacting the lateral ventricle. The apical protein complexes themselves are concentrated at the ventricular surface, and apical complex proteins regulate mitotic spindle orientation and cell fate. On the other hand, remarkably little is known about how cell-extrinsic cues signal to progenitors and couple with cell-intrinsic mechanisms to instruct neurogenesis. Recent research shows that the cerebrospinal fluid, which contacts apical progenitors at the ventricular surface and bathes the apical complex of these cells, provides growth- and survival-promoting cues for neural progenitor cells in developing and adult brain. This review addresses how the apical-basal polarity of progenitor cells regulates cell fate and allows progenitors to sample diffusible signals distributed by the cerebrospinal fluid. We also review several classes of signaling factors that the cerebrospinal fluid distributes to the developing brain to instruct neurogenesis.

Cerebrospinal fluid control of neurogenesis induced by retinoic acid during early brain development

Embryonic-cerebrospinal fluid (E-CSF) plays crucial roles in early brain development including the control of neurogenesis. Although FGF2 and lipoproteins present in the E-CSF have previously been shown to be involved in neurogenesis, the main factor triggering this process remains unknown. E-CSF contains all-trans-retinol and retinol-binding protein involved in the synthesis of retinoic acid (RA), a neurogenesis inducer. In early chick embryo brain, only the mesencephalic-rombencephalic isthmus (IsO) is able to synthesize RA. Here we show that in chick embryo brain development: (1) E-CSF helps to control RA synthesis in the IsO by means of the RBP and all-trans-retinol it contains; (2) E-CSF has retinoic acid activity, which suggests it may act as a diffusion pathway for RA; and (3) the influence of E-CSF on embryonic brain neurogenesis is to a large extent due to its involvement in RA synthesis. These data help to understand neurogenesis from neural progenitor cells.

The cerebrospinal fluid provides a proliferative niche for neural progenitor cells

Cortical development depends on the active integration of cell-autonomous and extrinsic cues, but the coordination of these processes is poorly understood. Here, we show that the apical complex protein Pals1 and Pten have opposing roles in localizing the Igf1R to the apical, ventricular domain of cerebral cortical progenitor cells. We found that the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), which contacts this apical domain, has an age-dependent effect on proliferation, much of which is attributable to Igf2, but that CSF contains other signaling activities as well. CSF samples from patients with glioblastoma multiforme show elevated Igf2 and stimulate stem cell proliferation in an Igf2-dependent manner. Together, our findings demonstrate that the apical complex couples intrinsic and extrinsic signaling, enabling progenitors to sense and respond appropriately to diffusible CSF-borne signals distributed widely throughout the brain. The temporal control of CSF composition may have critical relevance to normal development and neuropathological conditions.

Engaging neuroscience to advance translational research in brain barrier biology

The delivery of many potentially therapeutic and diagnostic compounds to specific areas of the brain is restricted by brain barriers, of which the most well known are the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and the blood-cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) barrier. Recent studies have shown numerous additional roles of these barriers, including an involvement in neurodevelopment, in the control of cerebral blood flow, and--when barrier integrity is impaired--in the pathology of many common CNS disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and stroke.

Cerebrospinal fluid promotes survival and astroglial differentiation of adult human neural progenitor cells but inhibits proliferation and neuronal differentiation

BACKGROUND

Neural stem cells (NSCs) are a promising source for cell replacement therapies for neurological diseases. Growing evidence suggests an important role of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) not only on neuroectodermal cells during brain development but also on the survival, proliferation and fate specification of NSCs in the adult brain. Existing in vitro studies focused on embryonic cell lines and embryonic CSF. We therefore studied the effects of adult human leptomeningeal CSF on the behaviour of adult human NSCs (ahNSCs).

RESULTS

Adult CSF increased the survival rate of adult human NSCs compared to standard serum free culture media during both stem cell maintenance and differentiation. The presence of CSF promoted differentiation of NSCs leading to a faster loss of their self-renewal capacity as it is measured by the proliferation markers Ki67 and BrdU and stronger cell extension outgrowth with longer and more cell extensions per cell. After differentiation in CSF, we found a larger number of GFAP+ astroglial cells compared to differentiation in standard culture media and a lower number of beta-tubulin III+ neuronal cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data demonstrate that adult human leptomeningeal CSF creates a beneficial environment for the survival and differentiation of adult human NSCs. Adult CSF is in vitro a strong glial differentiation stimulus and leads to a rapid loss of stem cell potential.

Adult cerebrospinal fluid inhibits neurogenesis but facilitates gliogenesis from fetal rat neural stem cells

Neural stem cells (NSCs) are a promising source for cell replacement therapies for neurological diseases. Administration of NSCs into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) offers a nontraumatic transplantation method into the brain. However, cell survival and intraparenchymal migration of the transplants are limited. Furthermore, CSF was recently reported to be an important milieu for controlling stem cell processes in the brain. We studied the effects of adult human leptomeningeal CSF on the behavior of fetal rat NSCs. CSF increased survival of NSCs compared with standard culture media during stem cell maintenance and differentiation. The presence of CSF enhanced NSC differentiation, leading to a faster loss of self-renewal capacity and faster and stronger neurite outgrowth. Some of these effects (mainly cell survival, neurite brancing) were blocked by addition of the bone morphogenic protein (BMP) inhibitor noggin. After differentiation in CSF, significantly fewer MAP2ab(+) neurons were found, but there were more GFAP(+) astroglia compared with standard media. By RT-PCR analysis, we determined a decrease of mRNA of the NSC marker gene Nestin but an increase of Gfap mRNA during differentiation up to 72 hr in CSF compared with standard media. Our data demonstrate that adult human leptomeningeal CSF enhances cell survival of fetal rat NSCs during proliferation and differentiation. Furthermore, CSF provides a stimulus for gliogenesis but inhibits neurogenesis from fetal NSCs. Our data suggest that CSF contains factors such as BMPs regulating NSC behavior, and we hypothesize that fast differentiation of NSCs in CSF leads to a rapid loss of migration capacity of intrathecally transplanted NSCs.

Early embryonic brain development in rats requires the trophic influence of cerebrospinal fluid

Cerebrospinal fluid has shown itself to be an essential brain component during development. This is particularly evident at the earliest stages of development where a lot of research, performed mainly in chick embryos, supports the evidence that cerebrospinal fluid is involved in different mechanisms controlling brain growth and morphogenesis, by exerting a trophic effect on neuroepithelial precursor cells (NPC) involved in controlling the behaviour of these cells. Despite it being known that cerebrospinal fluid in mammals is directly involved in corticogenesis at fetal stages, the influence of cerebrospinal fluid on the activity of NPC at the earliest stages of brain development has not been demonstrated. Here, using "in vitro" organotypic cultures of rat embryo brain neuroepithelium in order to expose NPC to or deprive them of cerebrospinal fluid, we show that the neuroepithelium needs the trophic influence of cerebrospinal fluid to undergo normal rates of cell survival, replication and neurogenesis, suggesting that NPC are not self-sufficient to induce their normal activity. This data shows that cerebrospinal fluid is an essential component in chick and rat early brain development, suggesting that its influence could be constant in higher vertebrates.

Totally tubular: the mystery behind function and origin of the brain ventricular system

A unique feature of the vertebrate brain is the ventricular system, a series of connected cavities which are filled with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and surrounded by neuroepithelium. While CSF is critical for both adult brain function and embryonic brain development, neither development nor function of the brain ventricular system is fully understood. In this review, we discuss the mystery of why vertebrate brains have ventricles, and whence they originate. The brain ventricular system develops from the lumen of the neural tube, as the neuroepithelium undergoes morphogenesis. The molecular mechanisms underlying this ontogeny are described. We discuss possible functions of both adult and embryonic brain ventricles, as well as major brain defects that are associated with CSF and brain ventricular abnormalities. We conclude that vertebrates have taken advantage of their neural tube to form the essential brain ventricular system.

Thrombin-mediated impairment of fibroblast growth factor-2 activity

Thrombin generation increases in several pathological conditions, including cancer, thromboembolism, diabetes and myeloproliferative syndromes. During tumor development, thrombin levels increase along with several other molecules, including cytokines and angiogenic factors. Under such conditions, it is reasonable to predict that thrombin may recognize new low-affinity substrates that usually are not recognized under low-expression levels conditions. In the present study, we hypothesized that fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-2 may be cleaved by thrombin and that such action may lead to an impairment of its biological activity. The evidence collected in the present study indicates that FGF-2-induced proliferation and chemotaxis/invasion of SK-MEL-110 human melanoma cells were significantly reduced when FGF-2 was pre-incubated with active thrombin. The inhibition of proliferation was not influenced by heparin. Phe-Pro-Arg-chloromethyl ketone, a specific inhibitor of the enzymatic activity of thrombin, abolished the thrombin-induced observed effects. Accordingly, both FGF-2-binding to cell membranes as well as FGF-2-induced extracellular signal-regulated kinase phosphorylation were decreased in the presence of thrombin. Finally, HPLC analyses demonstrated that FGF-2 is cleaved by thrombin at the peptide bond between residues Arg42 and Ile43 of the mature human FGF-2 sequence. The apparent k(cat)/K(m) of FGF-2 hydrolysis was 1.1 x 10(4) M(-1) x s(-1), which is comparable to other known low-affinity thrombin substrates. Taken together, these results demonstrate that thrombin digests FGF-2 at the site Arg42-Ile43 and impairs FGF-2 activity in vitro, indicating that FGF-2 is a novel thrombin substrate.

Why the embryo still matters: CSF and the neuroepithelium as interdependent regulators of embryonic brain growth, morphogenesis and histiogenesis

The key focus of this review is that both the neuroepithelium and embryonic cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) work in an integrated way to promote embryonic brain growth, morphogenesis and histiogenesis. The CSF generates pressure and also contains many biologically powerful trophic factors; both play key roles in early brain development. Accumulation of fluid via an osmotic gradient creates pressure that promotes rapid expansion of the early brain in a developmental regulated way, since the rates of growth differ between the vesicles and for different species. The neuroepithelium and ventricles both contribute to this growth but by different and coordinated mechanisms. The neuroepithelium grows primarily by cell proliferation and at the same time the ventricle expands via hydrostatic pressure generated by active transport of Na(+) and transport or secretion of proteins and proteoglycans that create an osmotic gradient which contribute to the accumulation of fluid inside the sealed brain cavity. Recent evidence shows that the CSF regulates relevant aspects of neuroepithelial behavior such as cell survival, replication and neurogenesis by means of growth factors and morphogens. Here we try to highlight that early brain development requires the coordinated interplay of the CSF contained in the brain cavity with the surrounding neuroepithelium. The information presented is essential in order to understand the earliest phases of brain development and also how neuronal precursor behavior is regulated.

All-trans retinol and retinol-binding protein from embryonic cerebrospinal fluid exhibit dynamic behaviour during early central nervous system development

Embryonic cerebrospinal fluid (E-CSF) is involved in the regulation of survival, proliferation and neurogenesis of neuroectodermal progenitor cells, as well as in the control of mesencephalic gene expression in collaboration with the isthmic organizer. Recently, we showed the presence of retinol-binding protein (RBP) within the E-CSF proteome. RBP is an all-trans retinol carrier, a molecule that can be metabolized into retinoic acid, a morphogen involved in central nervous system (CNS) morphogenesis and patterning. Here we demonstrate the presence of all-trans retinol within the E-CSF and analyse the dynamics of RBP and all-trans retinol within this fluid, as well as the expression of retinoic acid-synthesizing enzymes during early CNS development. Our results suggest a relationship between the dynamics of these molecules and the early events of CNS patterning.

The particles of the embryonic cerebrospinal fluid: how could they influence brain development?

During brain development, the embryonic cerebrospinal fluid (E-CSF) allows brain expansion and promotes neuroepithelial cell survival, proliferation or differentiation. Previous analyses of E-CSF content have revealed a high protein concentration and the presence of membranous particles. The role of these particles in the E-CSF remains poorly investigated. In this study we showed that the E-CSF contains at least two pools of particles: lipoproteins and exosome-like particles. We showed that these two populations of particles strongly interact with neuropithelial cells via an endocytic process, which display regional specificity along the developing neural tube. Finally, we explore and discuss the possibility that these interactions may influence brain development through the regulation of morphogen and growth factor signaling transduction.

A Comparative Proteomic Analysis of Human and Rat Embryonic Cerebrospinal Fluid

During vertebrate central nervous system development, the apical neuroepithelium is bathed with embryonic Cerebrospinal Fluid (e-CSF) which plays regulatory roles in cortical cell proliferation and maintenance. Here, we report the first proteomic analysis of human e-CSF and compare it to an extensive proteomic analysis of rat e-CSF. As expected, we identified a large collection of protease inhibitors, extracellular matrix proteins, and transport proteins in CSF. However, we also found a surprising suite of signaling and intracellular proteins not predicted by previous proteomic analysis. Some of the intracellular proteins are likely to represent the contents of microvesicles recently described within the CSF (Marzesco, A. M., et al. J. Cell Sci. 2005, 118 (Pt. 13), 2849-2858). Defining the rich composition of e-CSF will enable a greater understanding of its concerted actions during critical stages of brain development.