Microarray analyses reveal regional astrocyte heterogeneity with implications for neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1)-regulated glial proliferation.

ABSTRACT: Numerous studies have suggested that astrocytes in the central nervous system (CNS) exhibit molecular and functional heterogeneity. In this regard, astroglia from different CNS locations express distinct immune system, and neurotransmitter proteins, have varying levels of gap junction coupling and respond differently to injury. However, the relevance of these differences to human disease is unclear. As brain tumors in children arise in specific CNS locations, we hypothesized that regional astroglial cell heterogeneity might partly underlie the propensity for gliomas to arise in these areas. In this study, we performed high-density RNA microarray profiling on astrocytes from postnatal day 1 optic nerve, cerebellum, brainstem, and neocortex. We showed that astroglia from each region are mole

SUBMITTER: Yeh TH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2706934 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature