Ventral midbrain glia express region-specific transcription factors and regulate dopaminergic neurogenesis through Wnt-5a secretion

G Castelo-Branco, KM Sousa, V Bryja, L Pinto… - Molecular and Cellular …, 2006 - Elsevier
Glial cells have been classically described as supporting cells for neurons. Recently,
additional roles during neural development have begun to emerge. Here, we report that
ventral midbrain glia, including astrocytes and radial glia, are the source of signals required
by neural precursors to acquire a dopaminergic phenotype. We found that ventral midbrain
glia, but not cortical glia, secrete high levels of the glycolipoprotein Wnt-5a, express region-
specific transcription factors such as Pax-2, En-1 and Otx-2 and increase the differentiation …