Dynamic changes in mitochondrial localization in human neocortical basal radial glial cells during cell cycle

• Published in: Journal of comparative neurology (1911) 2024-06, Vol.532 (6), p.e25630-n/a
• Main Authors: Gkini, Vasiliki, Gómez‐Lozano, Inés, Heikinheimo, Oskari, Namba, Takashi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anaphase; Cell cycle; Cell Cycle - physiology; Cell proliferation; Cytokinesis; Cytoplasm; development; Ependymoglial Cells - cytology; Ependymoglial Cells - metabolism; Fetuses; Glial cells; Humans; Localization; Metaphase; Mitochondria; Mitochondria - metabolism; mitochondrion; Mitosis; Neocortex; Neocortex - cytology; Neocortex - metabolism; Neural stem cells; Neural Stem Cells - cytology; Neural Stem Cells - metabolism; Neuronal-glial interactions; Progenitor cells; Radial glial cells
• ISSN: 0021-9967; 1096-9861; 1096-9861
• DOI: 10.1002/cne.25630

Mitochondria play critical roles in neural stem/progenitor cell proliferation and fate decisions. The subcellular localization of mitochondria in neural stem/progenitor cells during mitosis potentially influences the distribution of mitochondria to the daughter cells and thus their fates. Therefore, understanding the spatial dynamics of mitochondria provides important knowledge about brain development. In this study, we analyzed the subcellular localization of mitochondria in the fetal human neocortex with a particular focus on the basal radial glial cells (bRGCs), a neural stem/progenitor cell subtype attributed to the evolutionary expansion of the human neocortex. During interphase, bRGCs exhibit a polarized localization of mitochondria that is localized at the base of the process or the proximal part of the process. Thereafter, mitochondria in bRGCs at metaphase show unpolarized distribution in which the mitochondria are randomly localized in the cytoplasm. During anaphase and telophase, mitochondria are still localized evenly, but mainly in the periphery of the cytoplasm. Mitochondria start to accumulate at the cleavage furrow during cytokinesis. These results suggest that the mitochondrial localization in bRGCs is tightly regulated during the cell cycle, which may ensure the proper distribution of mitochondria to the daughter cells and, thus in turn, influence their fates. Mitochondria play critical roles in neural stem/progenitor cell proliferation and fate decisions. In this study, we showed that basal radial glial cells exhibit polarized subcellular localization of mitochondria during interphase. The mitochondria are localized evenly during the M‐phase, then start to accumulate at the cleavage furrow during cytokinesis, which leads to an even re‐distribution of mitochondria to the daughter cells.