0000000000215023
AUTHOR
D. Chichung Lie
Signaling through BMPR-IA regulates quiescence and long-term activity of neural stem cells in the adult hippocampus.
SummaryNeural stem cells (NSCs) in the adult hippocampus divide infrequently, and the molecules that modulate their quiescence are largely unknown. Here, we show that bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling is active in hippocampal NSCs, downstream of BMPR-IA. BMPs reversibly diminish proliferation of cultured NSCs while maintaining their undifferentiated state. In vivo, acute blockade of BMP signaling in the hippocampus by intracerebral infusion of Noggin first recruits quiescent NSCs into the cycle and increases neurogenesis; subsequently, it leads to decreased stem cell division and depletion of precursors and newborn neurons. Consistently, selective ablation of Bmpr1a in hippocampal …
Oligodendrogliogenic and neurogenic adult subependymal zone neural stem cells constitute distinct lineages and exhibit differential responsiveness to Wnt signalling.
The adult mouse subependymal zone (SEZ) harbours adult neural stem cells (aNSCs) that give rise to neuronal and oligodendroglial progeny. However it is not known whether the same aNSC can give rise to neuronal and oligodendroglial progeny or whether these distinct progenies constitute entirely separate lineages. Continuous live imaging and single-cell tracking of aNSCs and their progeny isolated from the mouse SEZ revealed that aNSCs exclusively generate oligodendroglia or neurons, but never both within a single lineage. Moreover, activation of canonical Wnt signalling selectively stimulated proliferation within the oligodendrogliogenic lineage, resulting in a massive increase in oligodendr…
Reprogramming of Pericyte-Derived Cells of the Adult Human Brain into Induced Neuronal Cells
SummaryReprogramming of somatic cells into neurons provides a new approach toward cell-based therapy of neurodegenerative diseases. A major challenge for the translation of neuronal reprogramming into therapy is whether the adult human brain contains cell populations amenable to direct somatic cell conversion. Here we show that cells from the adult human cerebral cortex expressing pericyte hallmarks can be reprogrammed into neuronal cells by retrovirus-mediated coexpression of the transcription factors Sox2 and Mash1. These induced neuronal cells acquire the ability of repetitive action potential firing and serve as synaptic targets for other neurons, indicating their capability of integrat…