PUBLICATION

Down-regulation of interleukin 7 receptor (IL-7R) contributes to central nervous system demyelination

Authors
Lei, X., Cai, S., Chen, Y., Cui, J., Wang, Y., Li, Z., Li, Y.
ID
ZDB-PUB-170419-10
Date
2017
Source
Oncotarget   8(17): 28395-28407 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Cui, Jianlin, Li, Yuhao
Keywords
demyelination, interleukin 7 receptor (IL-7R), myelin basic protein, myelination, zebrafish
Datasets
GEO:GSE89215
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Animals, Genetically Modified
  • Central Nervous System Diseases/diagnostic imaging
  • Central Nervous System Diseases/genetics*
  • Central Nervous System Diseases/metabolism
  • Central Nervous System Diseases/pathology
  • Demyelinating Diseases/diagnostic imaging
  • Demyelinating Diseases/genetics*
  • Demyelinating Diseases/metabolism
  • Demyelinating Diseases/pathology
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Down-Regulation
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Gene Expression Regulation*
  • Gene Knockdown Techniques
  • Genes, bcl-2
  • Janus Kinases/metabolism
  • Receptors, Interleukin-7/genetics*
  • Receptors, Interleukin-7/metabolism
  • STAT Transcription Factors/metabolism
  • Signal Transduction
  • Spinal Cord/metabolism
  • Spinal Cord/pathology
  • Zebrafish
PubMed
28415697 Full text @ Oncotarget
Abstract
Interleukin 7 receptor (IL-7R) has been associated with the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS), though the mechanisms are not clear. Because myelin expression is highly conserved between zebrafish and mammals, zebrafish have become an ideal model for studying demyelination. We used a transgenic (Tg; mbp:nfsB-egfp) zebrafish line in which oligodendrocytes expressed green fluorescent protein (GFP) from the larval stage to adulthood. Exposing adult transgenic zebrafish to metronidazole induced demyelination that resembled the morphological changes associated with the early stages of MS. The metronidazole-induced demyelination was confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the first time. Microarray analysis revealed down-regulation of IL-7R during demyelination. Targeted knockdown of IL-7R demonstrated that IL-7R is essential for myelination in embryonic and larval zebrafish. Moreover, IL-7R down-regulation induced signaling via the JAK/STAT pathway leading to apoptosis in oligodendrocytes. These findings contribute to our understanding of the role of IL-7R in demyelination, and provide a rationale for the development of IL-7R-based therapies for MS and other demyelinating diseases.
Genes / Markers
Figures
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Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping