Article abstract


Nature Neuroscience 12, 132 - 140 (2009)
Published online: 11 January 2009 | doi:10.1038/nn.2251

The tumor suppressor Pml regulates cell fate in the developing neocortex

Tarik Regad1, Cristian Bellodi1,2, Pierluigi Nicotera1 & Paolo Salomoni1


The control of cell fate in neural progenitor cells is critical for nervous system development. Nevertheless, the processes involved are only partially known. We found that the expression of the tumor suppressor Pml was restricted to neural progenitor cells (NPCs) in the developing neocortex of the mouse. Notably, in Pml-/- cortices, the overall number of proliferating NPCs was increased and transition between the two major progenitor types, radial glial cells and basal progenitors, was impaired. This in turn resulted in reduced differentiation and an overall decrease in the thickness of the cortex wall. In NPCs, Pml regulated the subcellular distribution of the retinoblastoma protein (pRb) and the protein phosphatase 1alpha, triggering pRb dephosphorylation. Together, these findings reveal an unexpected role of Pml in controlling the function of NPCs in the CNS.

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  1. Medicial Research Council Toxicology Unit, University of Leicester, Box 138 Lancaster Road, Leicester LE1 7JL, UK.
  2. Present address: Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, Box 0128, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143-1270, USA.

Correspondence to: Paolo Salomoni1 e-mail: ps90@le.ac.uk



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