Nf2/Merlin Controls Spinal Cord Neural Progenitor Function in a Rac1/ErbB2-Dependent Manner
Figure 1
Merlin loss increases SC NPC growth, glial differentiation and cell survival.
Nf2 loss results in a (A) 1.8-fold increase in neurosphere diameter (p<0.0001; two-tailed Mann-Whitney U-test), (B) 3.6-fold increase in cell number at day 8 (p<0.001; 2-way ANOVA), and (C) a 1.7-fold increase in clonogenic expansion relative to WT SC NPCs (p = 0.003; two-tailed; two-tailed Mann-Whitney U-test). (D, E) Nf2 loss results in a 2-fold decrease in cell death, as assessed by cleaved caspase-3 and TUNEL (p = 0.0008 and p = 0.0442; two-tailed Mann-Whitney U-test). (F) Nf2 loss has no effect on the activation (cleavage) of caspase-6, -9, or -12 or PARP (statistics reported in Supplementary Figure 1C–F). (G) Nf2 loss results in increased glial (3-fold) (p = 0.0002; two-tailed Mann-Whitney U-test), but decreased neuronal (4.6-fold) (p<0.0001; two-tailed Mann-Whitney U-test) and oligodendrocyte (5-fold) differentiation (p<0.0001; two-tailed Mann-Whitney U-test). The data were normalized to the field of view. Values denote the mean ± SEM. (*) p<0.05; (**) p<0.001; (***) p<0.0001.