Abstract
During mammalian development, neuroepithelial cells function as mitotic progenitors, which self-renew and generate neurons. Although spindle orientation is important for such polarized cells to undergo symmetric or asymmetric divisions1,2, its role in mammalian neurogenesis remains unclear. Here we show that control of spindle orientation is essential in maintaining the population of neuroepithelial cells, but dispensable for the decision to either proliferate or differentiate. Knocking out LGN, (the G protein regulator)3,4, randomized the orientation of normally planar neuroepithelial divisions. The resultant loss of the apical membrane from daughter cells frequently converted them into abnormally localized progenitors without affecting neuronal production rate. Furthermore, overexpression of Inscuteable5 to induce vertical neuroepithelial divisions shifted the fate of daughter cells. Our results suggest that planar mitosis ensures the self-renewal of neuroepithelial progenitors by one daughter inheriting both apical and basal compartments during neurogenesis.
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Acknowledgements
We thank A. Miyawaki (RIKEN, Saitama, Japan) for providing the Venus gene, Y. Hayashizaki (RIKEN, Saitama, Japan) for FANTOM3 clones, K. Nakao (RIKEN, Kobe, Japan) for targeting mice, T. Saito (Chiba University, Chiba, Japan) for technical advice, and members of the Matsuzaki laboratory for helpful discussions.
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Konno, D., Shioi, G., Shitamukai, A. et al. Neuroepithelial progenitors undergo LGN-dependent planar divisions to maintain self-renewability during mammalian neurogenesis. Nat Cell Biol 10, 93–101 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncb1673
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ncb1673
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