In: Biology
What evidence supports the conclusion that GDF11 promotes the maintenance of adult neural stem cells?
Growth differentiation factor 11 (GDF11) acts as a rejuvenating factor which aids in treatment of various neurodegenerative diseases.
Functions of GDF11 are
1. regulates expression of numerous cell-cycle genes
2. suppresses Cor-1 cell proliferation
3. inhibited the expression of genes linked to cytoskeletal regulation such as LIM, Fascinand SH3 domain protein 1 (LASP1).
Few of the evidence which supports the role of GDF11 in maintenance of adult neural stem cells can be understood by the work of various researchers mentioned below-
a. Systemic injection of rGDF11 have several beneficial effects of heterochronic parabiosis, including vascular remodeling of the aged blood vessels in the subventricular zone and increased numbers of neural stem cells in this area. (Walker et al.,"Biochemistry and Biology of GDF11 and Myostatin", Circulation Research, Vol. 118, No. 7)
b. Wang et al. 2018, treatedneural stem cells with GDF11 and induced differentiation, including neurite outgrowth, and increased protein levels of neuronal and astrocytic lineage markers. (Wang Z, Dou M, Liu F, Jiang P, Ye S, Ma L, Cao H, du X, Sun P, Su N, Lin F, Zhang R, Li C. GDF11 induces differentiation and apoptosis and inhibits migration of C17.2 neural stem cells via modulating MAPK signaling pathway. PeerJ. 2018).
c. Williams et al.,2013 conduct research and demonstrated that GDF11 to be a master regulator of neural stem cell transcription. (Transcriptional Basis for the Inhibition of Neural Stem Cell Proliferation and Migration by the TGFβ-Family Member GDF11, PlosOne)