Abstract
Genetic evidence suggests that the POU transcription factor Oct-6 plays a pivotal role as an intracellular regulator of Schwann cell differentiation. In the absence of Oct-6 function Schwann cells are generated in appropriate numbers and these cells differentiate normally up to the promyelin stage at which they transiently arrest. During peripheral nerve development Oct-6 expression is initiated in Schwann cell precursors and is strongly upregulated in promyelin cells. Oct-6 expression is subsequently extinguished in terminally differentiating Schwann cells. Thus, identification and characterisation of the DNA elements involved in this stage specific regulation may lead us to the signaling cascade and the axon-derived signals that drive Schwann cell differentiation and initiate myelination. Here we present experiments that aim at identifying such regulatory sequences.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Alvarez-Bolado G., Rosenfeld, M.G., and Swanson, L.W. (1995). Model of forebrain regionalization based on spatiotemporal patterns of POU-III homeobox gene expression, birthdates, and morphological features. J Comp Neurol 355, 237–295.
Bermingham, J.R., Scherer, S.S., Oconnell S., Arroyo E., Kalla, K.A., Powell, F.L., and Rosenfeld, M.G. (1996). Tst-l/Oct-6/SCIP regulates a unique step in peripheral myelination and is required for normal respiration. Gene Develop 10, 1751–1762.
Blanchard, A.D., Sinanan A., Parmantier E., Zwart R., Broos L., Meijer D., Meier, C.,, Jessen, K.R., and Mirsky, R. (1996). Oct-6 (SCIP/Tst-1) is expressed in Schwann cell precursors, embryonic Schwann cells, and postnatal myelinating Schwann cells: comparison with Oct-1, Krox-20, and Pax-3. J Neurosci Res 46, 630–640.
Dillon, N., Trimborn, T., Strouboulis J., Fraser P., and Grosveld, F. (1997). The effect of distance on long-range chromatin interactions. Mol Cell 1, 131–139.
DiMattia, G.E., Rhodes, S.J., Krones A., Carriere C., S, O.C., Kalla K., Arias C., Sawchenko P., and Rosenfeld, M.G. (1997). The Pit-1 gene is regulated by distinct early and late pituitary-specific enhancers. Dev Biol 182, 180–190.
Fraser, P. and Grosveld, F (1998). Locus control regions, chromatin activation, and transcription. Curr Opin Cell Biol 10, 361–365.
Gross, D.S. and Garrard, W.T. (1988). Nuclease hypersensitive sites in chromatin. Annu Rev Biochem. 57, 159–197.
Hara Y., Rovescalli, A.C., Kim Y., and Nirenberg, M. (1992). Structure and evolution of four POU domain genes expressed in mouse brain. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 89, 3280–3284.
Herr W., Sturm, R.A., Clerc, R.G., Corcoran, L.M., Baltimore D., Sharp, PA., Ingraham, H.A., Rosenfeld, M.G., Finney M., Ruvkun G., and Horvitz, H.R. (1988). The POU domain: a large conserved region in the mammalian pit-1, oct-1, oct-2, and Caenorhabditis elegans unc-86 gene products. Genes Dev 2, 1513–1516.
Imagawa M., Chiu R., and Karin, M. (1987). Transcription factor AP-2 mediates induction by two different signal-transduction pathways: protein kinase C and cAMP. Cell 51, 251–260.
Jaegle M., Mandemakers W., Broos L., Zwart R., Karis A., Visser P., Grosveld, F, and Meijer, D. (1996). The POU factor oct-6 and Schwann cell differentiation. Science 273, 507–510.
Jaegle, M. and Meijer, D. (1998). Role of Oct-6 in Schwann cell differentiation. Microsc Res Tech 41, 372–378.
Kioussi C., Gross, M.K., and Gruss, P. (1995). Pax3: a paired domain gene as a regulator in PNS myelination. Neuron 15, 553–562.
Kuhn R., Monuki, E.S., and Lemke, G (1991). The gene encoding the transcription factor SCIP has features of an expressed retroposon. Mol Cell Biol 11, 4642–4650.
Levavasseur F., Mandemakers W., Visser P., Broos L., Grosveld, F, Zivkovic D., and Meijer, D. (1998). Comparison of sequence and function of the Oct-6 genes in zebrafish, chicken, and mouse. Mech Dev 74, 89–98.
Monuki, E.S., Weinmaster G., Kuhn R., and Lemke, G (1989). SCIP: a glial POU domain gene regulated by cyclic AMP. Neuron 3, 783–793.
Muller, M.M., Gerster T., and Schaffner, W. (1988). Enhancer sequences and the regulation of gene transcription. Eur J Biochem 176, 485–495.
Popperl H., Bienz M., Studer M., Chan, S.K., Aparicio S., Brenner S., Mann, R.S., and Krumlauf, R. (1995). Segmental expression of Hoxb-1 is controlled by a highly conserved autoregulatory loop dependent upon exd/pbx. Cell 81, 1031–1042.
Renner K., Sock E., Bermingham, J.R., Jr., and Wegner, M. (1996). Expression of the gene for the POU domain transcription factor Tst-l/Oct6 is regulated by an estrogen-dependent enhancer. Nucleic Acids Res 24, 4552–4557.
Ryan, A.K. and Rosenfeld, M.G. (1997). POU domain family values: flexibility, partnerships, and developmental codes. Genes Dev 11, 1207–1225.
Sambrook J., Fritsch E., and Maniatis, T. (1989). Molecular cloning: A Laboratory Manual, 2nd Edition (New York: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory).
Scherer, S.S., Wang, D.Y., Kuhn R., Lemke G., Wrabetz L., and Kamholz, J. (1994). Axons regulate Schwann cell expression of the POU transcription factor SCIP. J Neurosci 14, 1930–1942.
Scholer H.R. Balling R. Hatzopoulos A.K. Suzuki N and Gruss P. 1989. Octamer binding proteins confer transcriptional activity in early mouse embryogenesis. Embo J 8 2551–2557
Svaren, J. and Chalkley, R. (1990). The structure and assembly of active chromatin. Trends Genet 6, 52–56.
Topilko P., Schneider-Maunoury S., Levi G., Baron-Van Evercooren A., Chennoufi, A.B., Seitanidou, T, Babinet C., and Charnay, P. (1994). Krox-20 controls myelination in the peripheral nervous system. Nature 371, 196–199.
Wegner M., Drolet, D.W., and Rosenfeld, M.G. (1993). POU-domain proteins: structure and function of developmental regulators. Curr Opin Cell Biol 5, 488–498.
Weinstein, D.E., Burrola, P.G., and Lemke, G. (1995). Premature Schwann cell differentiation and hypermyelination in mice expressing a targeted antagonist of the POU transcription factor SCIP. Mol Cell Neurosci 6, 212–229.
Zorick, T.S., Syroid, D.E., Arroyo E., Scherer, S.S., and Lemke, G. (1996). The transcription factors SCIP and Krox-20 mark distinct stages and cell fates in Schwann cell differentiation. Mol Cell Neurosci 8, 129–145.
Zwart, R. (1996). Studies on the POU gene Oct-6 in ectoderm cell differentiation. PhD thesis, Erasmus University.
Zwart R., Broos L., Grosveld G., and Meijer, D. (1996). The restricted expression pattern of the POU factor Oct-6 during early development of the mouse nervous system. Mechanisms of Development 54, 185–194.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1999 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Mandemakers, W. et al. (1999). Transcriptional Regulation of the Pou Gene Oct-6 in Schwann Cells. In: Matsas, R., Tsacopoulos, M. (eds) The Functional Roles of Glial Cells in Health and Disease. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 468. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-4685-6_2
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-4685-6_2
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-7121-2
Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-4685-6
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive