LIF-dependent primitive neural stem cells derived from mouse ES cells represent a reversible stage of neural commitment.

Primitive neural stem cells (NSCs) define an early stage of neural induction, thus provide a model to understand the mechanism that controls initial neural commitment. In this study, we investigated primitive NSCs derived from mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs). By genome-wide transcriptional profiling, we revealed their unique signature and depicted the molecular changes underlying critical cell fate transitions during early neural induction at a global level. Together with qRT-PCR analysis, our data illustrated that primitive NSCs retained expression of key pluripotency genes Oct4 and Nanog, while exhibiting repression of other pluripotency-related genes Zscan4, Foxp1 and Dusp9 and up-regulation of neural markers Sox1 and Hes1. The early differentiation feature in primitive NSCs was also supported by their intermediate characters on cell cycle profiles. Moreover, re-plating primitive NSCs back to ESC culture condition could reverse them back to ESC stage, as shown by reversible regulation of marker genes, cell cycle profile changes and enhanced embryoid body formation. In addition, our microarray analysis also identified genes differentially expressed in primitive NSCs, and loss-of-function analysis demonstrated that Hes1 and Ccdc141 play important function at this stage, opening up an opportunity to further understand the regulation of early neural commitment.

Distribution of Kiaa0319-like immunoreactivity in the adult mouse brain--a novel protein encoded by the putative dyslexia susceptibility gene KIAA0319-like.

Kiaa0319L is a novel protein encoded by a recently discovered gene KIAA0319-like(L) that may be associated with reading disability. Little is known about the characteristics of this protein and its distribution in the brain. We investigated here expression of this protein in adult mice, using an antibody specific for human and rodent Kiaa0319L. In the brain, Kiaa0319L was localized strongly in the olfactory bulb, and strong expression was found in other regions, including hippocampus, cerebellum, diencephalon and the cerebral cortex. Immunohistochemistry confirmed expression in these brain regions, and showed further that the protein was expressed preferentially in neurons in layer IV and VI of the neocortex, CA1 and CA2 subfields of the hippocampus and a subpopulation of neurons in CA3 and dentate gyrus. Furthermore, the protein was confined to dendrites of CA1 neurons in the stratum radiatum, but not those in the stratum oriens, and in astrocytes within the hippocampus. In the cerebellum, the protein was observed in the molecular layer and a fraction of Purkinje neurons. These findings confirmed expression of Kiaa0319L in brain regions that are involved in reading performance, supporting its possible involvement in reading disability. The specific patterns of localization in the neocortex, hippocampus and cerebellum suggest further that this protein may be related to other biological processes in a subpopulation of neurons within these regions, eg. formation and maintenance of polarity in the neuron.

Dyslexia-associated kiaa0319-like protein interacts with axon guidance receptor nogo receptor 1.

To identify the putative interacting partners for Kiaa0319-like protein. KIAA0319-like, located near the dyslexia susceptibility locus, DYX8 in chromosome 1p34.3, has been suggested as a positional candidate for developmental dyslexia due to its homology with another gene, KIAA0319 which has been strongly established as a candidate gene for developmental dyslexia. Previous research has shown that a single marker, rs7523017 (P = 0.042) has been associated with developmental dyslexia by a Canadian group. There is little functional information about this gene and protein. In this article, we put forward further evidence that support Kiaa0319-like is a candidate for this disorder. A yeast-2-hybrid screen and co-immunopreciptiation assays were performed to find protein interacting partners of KIAA0319L. A human cortex immunohistochemistry assay was performed to show the colocalization of Kiaa0319-like and its specific interacting partner in cells. Nogo Receptor 1 (NgR1), an axon guidance receptor, was identified to have physical interactions with Kiaa0319-like protein. These two proteins interact predominantly in the cytoplasmic granules of cortical neurons in the human brain cortex. Based on this data, it can be concluded that Kiaa0319-like protein interacts with Nogo Receptor 1, supporting the idea that Kiaa0319-like protein participates in axon guidance.