Differential neuronal and glial expression of nuclear factor I proteins in the cerebral cortex of adult mice

• Published in: Journal of comparative neurology (1911) Vol. 525; no. 11; pp. 2465 - 2483
• Main Authors: Chen, Kok‐Siong, Harris, Lachlan, Lim, Jonathan W. C., Harvey, Tracey J., Piper, Michael, Gronostajski, Richard M., Richards, Linda J., Bunt, Jens
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.08.2017
• Subjects: Age Factors; Animals; astrocyte; Astrocytes; Cell Differentiation - physiology; Cell lineage; Cerebral cortex; Cerebral Cortex - cytology; Cerebral Cortex - growth & development; Cerebral Cortex - metabolism; Coagulation factors; Corpus callosum; cortex; Dentate gyrus; Ependymal cells; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; glia; Granule cells; Hippocampus; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Inbred ICR; Mice, Transgenic; Microglia; Neural stem cells; Neuroglia - metabolism; neuron; Neuronal-glial interactions; Neurons; Neurons - metabolism; NFI Transcription Factors - biosynthesis; NFI Transcription Factors - genetics; NFIA; NFIB; NFIX; Nuclear factor I; oligodendrocyte; Oligodendrocytes; Proteins; Rodents; RRID: AB_10608433; RRID: AB_10712361; RRID: AB_1854421; RRID: AB_1854424; Stem cell transplantation; Transcription factors; Ventricle (lateral); cortex; RRID: AB_10712361; NFIX; hippocampus; oligodendrocyte; neuron; nuclear factor I; glia; RRID: AB_1854421; cerebral cortex; RRID: AB_1854424; NFIA; NFIB; RRID: AB_10608433; astrocyte; microglia
• DOI: 10.1002/cne.24206
• ISSN: 0021-9967

The nuclear factor I (NFI) family of transcription factors plays an important role in the development of the cerebral cortex in humans and mice. Disruption of nuclear factor IA (NFIA), nuclear factor IB (NFIB), or nuclear factor IX (NFIX) results in abnormal development of the corpus callosum, lateral ventricles, and hippocampus. However, the expression or function of these genes has not been examined in detail in the adult brain, and the cell type‐specific expression of NFIA, NFIB, and NFIX is currently unknown. Here, we demonstrate that the expression of each NFI protein shows a distinct laminar pattern in the adult mouse neocortex and that their cell type‐specific expression differs depending on the family member. NFIA expression was more frequently observed in astrocytes and oligodendroglia, whereas NFIB expression was predominantly localized to astrocytes and neurons. NFIX expression was most commonly observed in neurons. The NFI proteins were equally distributed within microglia, and the ependymal cells lining the ventricles of the brain expressed all three proteins. In the hippocampus, the NFI proteins were expressed during all stages of neural stem cell differentiation in the dentate gyrus, with higher expression intensity in neuroblast cells as compared to quiescent stem cells and mature granule neurons. These findings suggest that the NFI proteins may play distinct roles in cell lineage specification or maintenance, and establish the basis for further investigation of their function in the adult brain and their emerging role in disease. This study shows that nuclear factor I (NFI) proteins are expressed in all major cell types in the adult mouse dorsal forebrain, but each member displays a unique cell type‐specific distribution. This comprehensive survey provides a baseline to investigate NFI function in the adult brain.