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Review
. 2008 Feb;18(1):108-15.
doi: 10.1016/j.conb.2008.04.001. Epub 2008 May 29.

Development of neural stem cell in the adult brain

Xin Duan  1 , Eunchai Kang, Cindy Y Liu, Guo-Li Ming, Hongjun Song
Affiliations
Review

Development of neural stem cell in the adult brain

Xin Duan et al. Curr Opin Neurobiol. 2008 Feb.

Abstract

New neurons are continuously generated in the dentate gyrus of the mammalian hippocampus and in the subventricular zone of the lateral ventricles throughout life. The origin of these new neurons is believed to be from multipotent adult neural stem cells. Aided by new methodologies, significant progress has been made in the characterization of neural stem cells and their development in the adult brain. Recent studies have also begun to reveal essential extrinsic and intrinsic molecular mechanisms that govern sequential steps of adult neurogenesis in the hippocampus and subventricular zone/olfactory bulb, from proliferation and fate specification of neural progenitors to maturation, navigation, and synaptic integration of the neuronal progeny. Future identification of molecular mechanisms and physiological functions of adult neurogenesis will provide further insight into the plasticity and regenerative capacity of the mature central nervous system.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Models on the identities of potential quiescent neural stem cells in the adult brain. (A). Two neurogenic regions in the adult brain: the subgranular zone (SGZ) in the dentate gyurs (DG) of the hippocampus and the subventricular zone (SVZ) of the lateral ventricles (LV). (B). Potential lineage relationships in the adult SVZ. (C). Potential lineage relationships in the adult SGZ.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Adult neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. Summary of the current knowledge on the development of neural stem cells during adult hippocampal neurogenesis in young adult mice as characterized by estimated timeline, developmental stages, expression of specific markers, physiological properties, critical periods and potential molecular mechanisms. ML: molecular layer; GCL: granule cell layer; SGZ: subgranular zone; GFAP: gial fibrillary acidic protein; BLBP: brain lipid-binding protein; DCX: doublecortin; NeuN: neuronal nuclei; PSA-NCAM: the polysialylated form of the neural cell adhesion molecule NCAM; POMC: pro-opiomelanocortin; IEG: immediate early gene; LTP: long-term potentiation; TXL: tailless; EGF: epidermal growth factor; FGF: fibroblast growth factor; VEGF: vascular endothelial growth factor; BMP: bone morphogenetic protein; GABA: γ-aminobutyric acid; DISC1: disrupted-in-schizophrenia 1.
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