Changes in Musashi-1 subcellular localization correlate with cell cycle exit during postnatal retinal development

Short C-terminal Musashi-1 proteins regulate pluripotency states in embryonic stem cells

The RNA-binding protein Musashi-1 (MSI1) regulates the proliferation and differentiation of adult stem cells. However, its role in embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and early embryonic development remains poorly understood. Here, we report the presence of short C-terminal MSI1 (MSI1-C) proteins in early mouse embryos and mouse ESCs, but not in human ESCs, under conventional culture conditions. In mouse embryos and mESCs, deletion of MSI1-C together with full-length MSI1 causes early embryonic developmental arrest and pluripotency dissolution. MSI1-C is induced upon naive induction and facilitates hESC naive pluripotency acquisition, elevating the pluripotency of primed hESCs toward a formative-like state. MSI1-C proteins are nuclear localized and bind to RNAs involved in DNA-damage repair (including MLH1, BRCA1, and MSH2), conferring on hESCs better survival in human-mouse interspecies cell competition and prolonged ability to form blastoids. This study identifies MSI1-C as an essential regulator in ESC pluripotency states and early embryonic development.

RNA-binding proteins and post-transcriptional regulation in lens biology and cataract: Mediating spatiotemporal expression of key factors that control the cell cycle, transcription, cytoskeleton and transparency

Development of the ocular lens - a transparent tissue capable of sustaining frequent shape changes for optimal focusing power - pushes the boundaries of what cells can achieve using the molecular toolkit encoded by their genomes. The mammalian lens contains broadly two types of cells, the anteriorly located monolayer of epithelial cells which, at the equatorial region of the lens, initiate differentiation into fiber cells that contribute to the bulk of the tissue. This differentiation program involves massive upregulation of select fiber cell-expressed RNAs and their subsequent translation into high amounts of proteins, such as crystallins. But intriguingly, fiber cells achieve this while also simultaneously undergoing significant morphological changes such as elongation - involving about 1000-fold length-wise increase - and migration, which requires modulation of cytoskeletal and cell adhesion factors. Adding further to the challenges, these molecular and cellular events have to be coordinated as fiber cells progress toward loss of their nuclei and organelles, which irreversibly compromises their potential for harnessing genetically hardwired information. A long-standing question is how processes downstream of signaling and transcription, which may also participate in feedback regulation, contribute toward orchestrating these cellular differentiation events in the lens. It is now becoming clear from findings over the past decade that post-transcriptional gene expression regulatory mechanisms are critical in controlling cellular proteomes and coordinating key processes in lens development and fiber cell differentiation. Indeed, RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) such as Caprin2, Celf1, Rbm24 and Tdrd7 have now been described in mediating post-transcriptional control over key factors (e.g. Actn2, Cdkn1a (p21Cip1), Cdkn1b (p27Kip1), various crystallins, Dnase2b, Hspb1, Pax6, Prox1, Sox2) that are variously involved in cell cycle, transcription, cytoskeleton maintenance and differentiation in the lens. Furthermore, deficiencies of these RBPs have been shown to result in various eye and lens defects and/or cataract. Because fiber cell differentiation in the lens occurs throughout life, the underlying regulatory mechanisms operational in development are expected to also be recruited for the maintenance of transparency in aged lenses. Indeed, in support of this, TDRD7 and CAPRIN2 loci have been linked to age-related cataract in humans. Here, I will review the role of key RBPs in the lens and their importance in understanding the pathology of lens defects. I will discuss advances in RBP-based gene expression control, in general, and the important challenges that need to be addressed in the lens to define the mechanisms that determine the epithelial and fiber cell proteome. Finally, I will also discuss in detail several key future directions including the application of bioinformatics approaches such as iSyTE to study RBP-based post-transcriptional gene expression control in the aging lens and in the context of age-related cataract.

Direct differentiation of tonsillar biopsy-derived stem cells to the neuronal lineage

BACKGROUND

Neurological disorders are considered one of the greatest burdens to global public health and a leading cause of death. Stem cell therapies hold great promise for the cure of neurological disorders, as stem cells can serve as cell replacement, while also secreting factors to enhance endogenous tissue regeneration. Adult human multipotent stem cells (MSCs) reside on blood vessels, and therefore can be found in many tissues throughout the body, including palatine tonsils. Several studies have reported the capacity of MSCs to differentiate into, among other cell types, the neuronal lineage. However, unlike the case with embryonic stem cells, it is unclear whether MSCs can develop into mature neurons.

METHODS

Human tonsillar MSCs (T-MSCs) were isolated from a small, 0.6-g sample, of tonsillar biopsies with high viability and yield as we recently reported. Then, these cells were differentiated by a rapid, multi-stage procedure, into committed, post-mitotic, neuron-like cells using defined conditions.

RESULTS

Here we describe for the first time the derivation and differentiation of tonsillar biopsy-derived MSCs (T-MSCs), by a rapid, multi-step protocol, into post-mitotic, neuron-like cells using defined conditions without genetic manipulation. We characterized our T-MSC-derived neuronal cells and demonstrate their robust differentiation in vitro.

CONCLUSIONS

Our procedure leads to a rapid neuronal lineage commitment and loss of stemness markers, as early as three days following neurogenic differentiation. Our studies identify biopsy-derived T-MSCs as a potential source for generating neuron-like cells which may have potential use for in vitro modeling of neurodegenerative diseases or cell replacement therapies.

Expression of Musashi-1 Increases in Bone Healing

Musashi-1 (MSI1) is an RNA-binding protein that regulates progenitor cells in adult and developing organisms to maintain self-renewal capacities. The role of musashi-1 in the bone healing environment and its relation with other osteogenic factors is unknown. In the current study, we analyze the expression of MSI1 in an experimental model of rat femoral bone fractures. We also analyze the relation between MSI1 expression and the expression of two osteogenic markers: periostin (POSTN) and runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2). We use histological, immunohistochemical, and qPCR techniques to evaluate bone healing and the expression of MSI1, POSTN, and RUNX2 over time (4, 7, and 14 days). We compare our findings with non-fractured controls. We find that in bone calluses, the number of cells expressing MSI1 and RUNX2 increase over time and the intensity of POSTN expression decreases over time. Within bone calluses, we find the presence of MSI1 expression in mesenchymal stromal cells, osteoblasts, and osteocytes but not in hypertrophic chondrocytes. After 14 days, the expression of MSI1, POSTN, and RUNX2 was significantly correlated. Thus, we conclude that musashi-1 potentially serves in the osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stromal cells and bone healing. Therefore, further studies are needed to determine the possibility of musashi-1′s role as a clinical biomarker of bone healing and therapeutic agent for bone regeneration.

Ibuprofen enhances synaptic function and neural progenitors proliferation markers and improves neuropathology and motor coordination in Machado-Joseph disease models

Machado-Joseph disease or spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 is an inherited neurodegenerative disease associated with an abnormal glutamine over-repetition within the ataxin-3 protein. This mutant ataxin-3 protein affects several cellular pathways, leading to neuroinflammation and neuronal death in specific brain regions resulting in severe clinical manifestations. Presently, there is no therapy able to modify the disease progression. Nevertheless, anti-inflammatory pharmacological intervention has been associated with positive outcomes in other neurodegenerative diseases. Thus, the present work aimed at investigating whether ibuprofen treatment would alleviate Machado-Joseph disease. We found that ibuprofen-treated mouse models presented a significant reduction in the neuroinflammation markers, namely Il1b and TNFa mRNA and IKB-α protein phosphorylation levels. Moreover, these mice exhibited neuronal preservation, cerebellar atrophy reduction, smaller mutant ataxin-3 inclusions and motor performance improvement. Additionally, neural cultures of Machado-Joseph disease patients' induced pluripotent stem cells-derived neural stem cells incubated with ibuprofen showed increased levels of neural progenitors proliferation and synaptic markers such as MSI1, NOTCH1 and SYP. These findings were further confirmed in ibuprofen-treated mice that display increased neural progenitor numbers (Ki67 positive) in the subventricular zone. Furthermore, interestingly, ibuprofen treatment enhanced neurite total length and synaptic function of human neurons. Therefore, our results indicate that ibuprofen reduces neuroinflammation and induces neuroprotection, alleviating Machado-Joseph disease-associated neuropathology and motor impairments. Thus, our findings demonstrate that ibuprofen treatment has the potential to be used as a neuroprotective therapeutic approach in Machado-Joseph disease.

Characterisation of stem and proliferating cells on the retina and lens of loach Misgurnus anguillicaudatus

The eye of the fish has a lifelong persistent neurogenesis unlike eye of mammals, so it's highly interesting to study retinal neurogenesis and its genetic control to give complete knowledge about the cause of this property in fish in comparison to mammals. We performed fluorescent in situ hybridisation for loach Misgurnus anguillicaudatus bmi1, msi1 and sox2 genes, which are used as an indicator of the sites of multipotent stem cells. Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), bromodeoxyuridine (BRDU) and KI67 markers were used as indicators of proliferating cells and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) immunofluorescence was used for detection of the glial property of cells, as well as, immunohistochemistry detected the role of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)α and γ in retinal neurogenesis. Our results determined that the lens and the retina of loach M. anguillicaudatus contain proliferative and pluripotent stem cells that have both glial and neuroepithelial properties, which add new cells continuously throughout life even without injury-induced proliferation. The PPARα has an essential function in providing energy supply for retinal neurogenesis more than PPARγ.

Alteration of Musashi1 Intra-cellular Distribution During Regeneration Following Gentamicin-Induced Hair Cell Loss in the Guinea Pig Crista Ampullaris

The mechanism underlying hair cell (HC) regeneration in the mammalian inner ear is still under debate. Understanding what molecules regulate the HC regeneration in mature mammals will be the key to the treatment of the inner ear disorder. Musashi1 (MSI1) is an RNA binding protein associated with asymmetric division and maintenance of stem cell function as a modulator of the Notch-1 signaling pathway. In this study, we investigated the cellular proliferative activity and changes in spatiotemporal pattern of MSI1 expression in the gentamicin (GM)-treated crista ampullaris (CA) in guinea pigs. Although the vestibular HCs in the CA almost disappeared at 14 days after injecting GM in the inner ear, the density of vestibular HCs spontaneously increased by up to 50% relative to controls at 56 days post-GM treatment (PT). The number of the type II HCs was significantly increased at 28 days PT relative to 14 days PT (p < 0.01) while that of type I HCs or supporting cells (SCs) did not change. The number of SCs did not change through the observational period. Administration of bromodeoxyuridine with the same GM treatment showed that the cell proliferation activity was high in SCs between 14 and 28 days PT. The changes in spatiotemporal patterns of MSI1 expression during spontaneous HC regeneration following GM treatment showed that MSI1-immunoreactivity was diffusely spread into the cytoplasm of the SCs during 7–21 days PT whereas the expression of MSI1 was confined to the nucleus of SCs in the other period. The MSI1/MYO7A double-positive cells were observed at 21 days PT. These results suggest that regeneration of vestibular HCs might originate in the asymmetric cell division and differentiation of SCs and that MSI1 might be involved in controlling the process of vestibular HC regeneration.

Ras activation in retinal progenitor cells induces tumor formation in the eye

The RAS gene family members, H-RAS, K-RAS, and N-RAS, are frequently mutated in human cancer. A subset of retinal tumors displays K-RAS mutations; however, the specific role of RAS activation on retinal tumor formation is unclear. To examine the role of RAS in retinal development, we overexpressed the mutant H-RAS gene (G12V) in retinal progenitor cells (RPCs), a multipotent progenitor cell population that gives rise to all six neuron types in the retina and to the Muller glia. The Msi1^CreER mouse strain was used to induce mosaic activation of Ras (RasV12) in the RPCs of the postnatal retina. RAS-activated RPCs translocated to the basal part of the retina, differentiated into cells with glial characteristics, and underwent apoptosis. We next induced RAS activation in a large population of RPCs in the embryonic retina using the Pax6^Cre mouse strain. In contrast to the phenotype observed in Msi1^CreER;RasV12 mice, Ras-activated cells retained their apical attachment. Basal translocation was partially suppressed in the retina of Pax6^Cre;RasV12 mice, indicating that basal translocation of Ras-activated cells was not cell autonomous. Notably, RAS-activated retinal cells were highly proliferative and promoted the formation of eye tumors in Pax6^Cre;RasV12 mice. Together, our data indicate that the tumorigenicity of RAS activation in RPCs is context dependent, with tumor formation occurring when RAS activity is present in a large cluster of embryonic RPCs.

Increased Expression of Musashi-1 Evidences Mesenchymal Repair in Maxillary Sinus Floor Elevation

This study aimed to analyze the expression of Musashi-1 (MSI1) in maxillary native bone and grafted bone after maxillary sinus floor elevation. To do so, fifty-seven bone biopsies from 45 participants were studied. Eighteen samples were collected from native bone while 39 were obtained 6 months after maxillary sinus grafting procedures. Musashi-1 was analyzed by immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR. MSI1 was detected in osteoblasts and osteocytes in 97.4% (38/39) of grafted areas. In native bone, MSI1 was detected in only 66.6% (12/18) of the biopsies, mainly in osteocytes. Detection of MSI1 was significantly higher in osteoprogenitor mesenchymal cells of grafted biopsies (p < 0.001) but minor in smooth muscle and endothelial cells; no expression was detected in adipocytes. The mesenchymal cells of the non-mineralized tissue of native bone showed very low nuclear expression of MSI1, in comparison to fusiform cells in grafted areas (0.28(0.13) vs. 2.10(0.14), respectively; p < 0.001). Additionally, the detection of MSI1 mRNA was significantly higher in biopsies from grafted areas than those from native bone (1.00(0.51) vs. 60.34(35.2), respectively; p = 0.029). Thus, our results regardig the significantly higher detection of Musashi-1 in grafted sites than in native bone reflects its importance in the remodeling/repair events that occur after maxillary sinus floor elevation in humans.

Transcriptional and Post-Transcriptional Mechanisms of the Development of Neocortical Lamination

The neocortex is a laminated brain structure that is the seat of higher cognitive capacity and responses, long-term memory, sensory and emotional functions, and voluntary motor behavior. Proper lamination requires that progenitor cells give rise to a neuron, that the immature neuron can migrate away from its mother cell and past other cells, and finally that the immature neuron can take its place and adopt a mature identity characterized by connectivity and gene expression; thus lamination proceeds through three steps: genesis, migration, and maturation. Each neocortical layer contains pyramidal neurons that share specific morphological and molecular characteristics that stem from their prenatal birth date. Transcription factors are dynamic proteins because of the cohort of downstream factors that they regulate. RNA-binding proteins are no less dynamic, and play important roles in every step of mRNA processing. Indeed, recent screens have uncovered post-transcriptional mechanisms as being integral regulatory mechanisms to neocortical development. Here, we summarize major aspects of neocortical laminar development, emphasizing transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms, with the aim of spurring increased understanding and study of its intricacies.

Neural stem/progenitor cells are activated during tail regeneration in the leopard gecko (Eublepharis macularius)

As for many lizards, the leopard gecko (Eublepharis macularius) can self-detach its tail to avoid predation and then regenerate a replacement. The replacement tail includes a regenerated spinal cord with a simple morphology: an ependymal layer surrounded by nerve tracts. We hypothesized that cells within the ependymal layer of the original spinal cord include populations of neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) that contribute to the regenerated spinal cord. Prior to tail loss, we performed a bromodeoxyuridine pulse-chase experiment and found that a subset of ependymal layer cells (ELCs) were label-retaining after a 140-day chase period. Next, we conducted a detailed spatiotemporal characterization of these cells before, during, and after tail regeneration. Our findings show that SOX2, a hallmark protein of NSPCs, is constitutively expressed by virtually all ELCs before, during, and after regeneration. We also found that during regeneration, ELCs express an expanded panel of NSPC and lineage-restricted progenitor cell markers, including MSI-1, SOX9, and TUJ1. Using electron microscopy, we determined that multiciliated, uniciliated, and biciliated cells are present, although the latter was only observed in regenerated spinal cords. Our results demonstrate that cells within the ependymal layer of the original, regenerating and fully regenerate spinal cord represent a heterogeneous population. These include radial glia comparable to Type E and Type B cells, and a neuronal-like population of cerebrospinal fluid-contacting cells. We propose that spinal cord regeneration in geckos represents a truncation of the restorative trajectory observed in some urodeles and teleosts, resulting in the formation of a structurally distinct replacement.

The Musashi 1 Controls the Splicing of Photoreceptor-Specific Exons in the Vertebrate Retina

Alternative pre-mRNA splicing expands the coding capacity of eukaryotic genomes, potentially enabling a limited number of genes to govern the development of complex anatomical structures. Alternative splicing is particularly prevalent in the vertebrate nervous system, where it is required for neuronal development and function. Here, we show that photoreceptor cells, a type of sensory neuron, express a characteristic splicing program that affects a broad set of transcripts and is initiated prior to the development of the light sensing outer segments. Surprisingly, photoreceptors lack prototypical neuronal splicing factors and their splicing profile is driven to a significant degree by the Musashi 1 (MSI1) protein. A striking feature of the photoreceptor splicing program are exons that display a "switch-like" pattern of high inclusion levels in photoreceptors and near complete exclusion outside of the retina. Several ubiquitously expressed genes that are involved in the biogenesis and function of primary cilia produce highly photoreceptor specific isoforms through use of such "switch-like" exons. Our results suggest a potential role for alternative splicing in the development of photoreceptors and the conversion of their primary cilia to the light sensing outer segments.

RNA-binding proteins in eye development and disease: implication of conserved RNA granule components

The molecular biology of metazoan eye development is an area of intense investigation. These efforts have led to the surprising recognition that although insect and vertebrate eyes have dramatically different structures, the orthologs or family members of several conserved transcription and signaling regulators such as Pax6, Six3, Prox1, and Bmp4 are commonly required for their development. In contrast, our understanding of posttranscriptional regulation in eye development and disease, particularly regarding the function of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs), is limited. We examine the present knowledge of RBPs in eye development in the insect model Drosophila as well as several vertebrate models such as fish, frog, chicken, and mouse. Interestingly, of the 42 RBPs that have been investigated for their expression or function in vertebrate eye development, 24 (~60%) are recognized in eukaryotic cells as components of RNA granules such as processing bodies, stress granules, or other specialized ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes. We discuss the distinct developmental and cellular events that may necessitate potential RBP/RNA granule-associated RNA regulon models to facilitate posttranscriptional control of gene expression in eye morphogenesis. In support of these hypotheses, three RBPs and RNP/RNA granule components Tdrd7, Caprin2, and Stau2 are linked to ocular developmental defects such as congenital cataract, Peters anomaly, and microphthalmia in human patients or animal models. We conclude by discussing the utility of interdisciplinary approaches such as the bioinformatics tool iSyTE (integrated Systems Tool for Eye gene discovery) to prioritize RBPs for deriving posttranscriptional regulatory networks in eye development and disease. WIREs RNA 2016, 7:527-557. doi: 10.1002/wrna.1355 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.

RNA binding protein Musashi-1 directly targets Msi2 and Erh during early testis germ cell development and interacts with IPO5 upon translocation to the nucleus

Controlled gene regulation during gamete development is vital for maintaining reproductive potential. During the process of gamete development, male germ cells experience extended periods of inactive transcription despite requirements for continued growth and differentiation. Spermatogenesis therefore provides an ideal model to study the effects of posttranscriptional control on gene regulation. During spermatogenesis posttranscriptional regulation is orchestrated by abundantly expressed RNA-binding proteins. One such group of RNA-binding proteins is the Musashi family, previously identified as a critical regulator of testis germ cell development and meiosis in Drosophila and also shown to be vital to sperm development and reproductive potential in the mouse. We focus in depth on the role and function of the vertebrate Musashi ortholog Musashi-1 (MSI1). Through detailed expression studies and utilizing our novel transgenic Msi1 testis-specific overexpression model, we have identified 2 unique RNA-binding targets of MSI1 in spermatogonia, Msi2 and Erh, and have demonstrated a role for MSI1 in translational regulation. We have also provided evidence to suggest that nuclear import protein, IPO5, facilitates the nuclear translocation of MSI1 to the transcriptionally silenced XY chromatin domain in meiotic pachytene spermatocytes, resulting in the release of MSI1 RNA-binding targets. This firmly establishes MSI1 as a master regulator of posttranscriptional control during early spermatogenesis and highlights the significance of the subcellular localization of RNA binding proteins in relation to their function.

Prognostic significance of neural stem cell markers, Nestin and Musashi-1, in oral squamous cell carcinoma: expression pattern of Nestin in the precancerous stages of oral squamous epithelium

BACKGROUND

Besides the tissue-specific stem cell markers, neural and hematopoietic stem cell markers were found to play an important role in carcinogenesis. Based on this background, we have investigated the expression pattern and prognostic significance of neural stem cell markers, Nestin and Musashi-1, in oral cancer.

METHODS

We used immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence analyses to study the expression pattern and correlation between Nestin and Musashi-1 in oral squamous cell carcinoma. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to construct overall and disease-free survival curves, and the differences were calculated using log-rank test.

RESULTS

Nestin expression was gradually increased in the transformation stages of oral cancer. Both Nestin and Musashi-1 expressions were associated with higher stage and poorly differentiated status of oral carcinoma. Interestingly, Nestin and Musashi-1 double positive cases showed statistically highly significant correlation with poorer survival of oral carcinoma patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Expression of Nestin in the preneoplastic lesions indicates its role in the transformation of oral squamous epithelium. Clinicopathological and survival analyses suggest that Nestin and Musashi-1 might be associated with invasion, differentiation and poorer survival in oral squamous cell carcinoma. In addition to their role as independent prognostic indicators, Nestin and Musashi-1 double positivity can be used to select high-risk cases for effective therapy and this is the novel finding of this study.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Nestin and Musashi-1 are found to be independent prognostic markers of oral cancer, and they might be used as molecular targets for effective therapy.

Isolation of cancer stem cells from three human glioblastoma cell lines: characterization of two selected clones

Cancer stem cells (CSC) were isolated via a non-adherent neurosphere assay from three glioma cell lines: LI, U87, and U373. Using a clonal assay, two clones (D2 and F11) were selected from spheres derived from LI cells and were characterized for the: expression of stem cell markers (CD133, Nestin, Musashi-1 and Sox2); proliferation; differentiation capability (determined by the expression of GalC, βIII-Tubulin and GFAP); Ca²⁺ signaling and tumorigenicity in nude mice. Both D2 and F11 clones expressed higher levels of all stem cell markers with respect to the parental cell line. Clones grew more slowly than LI cells with a two-fold increase in duplication time. Markers of differentiation (βIII-Tubulin and GFAP) were expressed at high levels in both LI cells and in neurospheres. The expression of Nestin, Sox2, and βIII-Tubulin was down-regulated in D2 and F11 when cultured in serum-containing medium, whereas Musashi-1 was increased. In this condition, duplication time of D2 and F11 increased without reaching that of LI cells. D2, F11 and parental cells did not express voltage-dependent Ca²⁺-channels but they exhibited increased intracellular Ca²⁺ levels in response to ATP. These Ca²⁺ signals were larger in LI cells and in spheres cultured in serum-containing medium, while they were smaller in serum-free medium. The ATP treatment did not affect cell proliferation. Both D2 and F11 induced the appearance of tumors when ortotopically injected in athymic nude mice at a density 50-fold lower than that of LI cells. All these data indicate that both clones have characteristics of CSC and share the same stemness properties. The findings regarding the expression of differentiation markers and Ca²⁺-channels show that both clones are unable to reach the terminal differentiation. Both D2 and F11 might represent a good model to improve the knowledge on CSC in glioblastoma and to identify new therapeutic approaches.

Musashi1-CreER(T2) : a new cre line for conditional mutagenesis in neural stem cells

The RNA-binding protein Musashi1 (Msi1) is one of two mammalian homologues of Drosophila Musashi, which is required for the asymmetric cell division of sensory organ precursor cells. In the mouse central nervous system (CNS), Msi1 is preferentially expressed in mitotically active progenitor cells in the ventricular zone (VZ) of the neural tube during embryonic development and in the subventricular zone (SVZ) of the postnatal brain. Previous studies showed that cells in the SVZ can contribute to long-term neurogenesis in the olfactory bulb (OB), but it remains unclear whether Msi1-expressing cells have self-renewing potential and can contribute to neurogenesis in the adult. Here, we describe the generation of Msi1-CreER(T2) knock-in mice and show by cell lineage tracing that Msi1-CreER(T2) -expressing cells mark neural stem cells (NSCs) in both the embryonic and adult brain. Msi1-CreER(T2) mice thus represent a new tool in our arsenal for genetically manipulating NSCs, which will be essential for understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying neural development.

Parallels between neuron and lens fiber cell structure and molecular regulatory networks

Studies over the past fifty years have identified extensive similarities between neurons and elongated fiber cells that make up in the interior of the ocular lens. Electron micrographs showed parallels in the organization of their intracellular vesicle transport machinery and between lens fiber cell lateral protrusions and dendritic spines. Consistent with those observations, a number of gene products first characterized as highly neuron-preferred in their expression were also demonstrated in lens fiber cells. Going further, a fundamental network of regulatory factors with critical roles in determining the neuronal phenotype were also identified in lenses, and showed a corresponding mutually exclusive distribution of neural and non-neural factor isoforms in mitotic lens epithelial cells and post-mitotic fiber cells consistent with their interlocking functions in neural cells. These included REST/NRSF transcription factors, members of major RNA binding protein families, and "brain-specific" miRNAs that were each shown to have global roles in governing neural and non-neural gene expression and alternative transcript splicing in vertebrates. This review discusses these extensive parallels between neurons and fiber cells and implications regarding common themes in lens and neural cell physiology and disease, which may also suggest related evolutionary processes.