Galectin-3 induces neurodevelopmental apical-basal polarity and regulates gyrification.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 40901969.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1126/sciadv.adt5859 and PMC identifier 12407091.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Apical-basal polarity (ABP) establishment and maintenance is necessary for proper brain development, yet how it is controlled is unclear. Galectin-3 (Gal-3) has been previously implicated in ABP of epithelial cells, and, here, we find that it is apically expressed in human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) during neural induction. Gal-3 blockade disrupts ABP and alters the distribution of junctional proteins in hESC-derived neural rosettes and is rescued by addition of recombinant Gal-3. Transcriptomics analysis shows that blocking Gal-3 regulates expression of genes responsible for nervous system development and cell junction assembly, among others. Last, Gal-3 blockade during embryonic development in vivo reduces horizontal cell divisions, disturbs cortical layering of neural progenitors, and induces gyrification. These data uncover a regulatory mechanism for ABP in the brain and warrant caution in modulating Gal-3 during pregnancy.
Medical subject headings
- Cell Polarity
- Galectin 3
- Neurogenesis