Notch信号通路在脑生发区神经干细胞维持与神经再生中的作用

成年神经再生在各种脑损伤、神经系统变性疾病的修复中发挥了重要的作用。在啮齿类和灵长类动物脑中,其主要发生在侧脑室(lateral ventricle,LV)的脑室下区(subventricular zone,SVZ)和海马齿状回(dentate gyrus,DG)颗粒下区(subgranular zone,SGZ)。神经干细胞(neural stem cells,NSCs)的增殖与分化之间的平衡调控是成年神经再生的重要机制。成年神经再生过程包含几个阶段,每个阶段均受到多种内源性和外源性因素的调节。Notch信号通路在成年NSCs的维持中发挥了重要的作用。该文将对Notch信号通路在脑生发区NSCs的维持与神经再生中的作用机制及其研究进展进行综述。     

BDNF及其受体在抗抑郁症中的作用及其机制研究

脑源性神经营养因子(brain-derived neurothrophic factor,BDNF)广泛存在于中枢和外周神经系统,具有神经再生和修复功能。近年来,研究发现BDNF在改善抑郁发生过程中神经可塑性以及抗抑郁药物治疗中发挥重要的作用。综述了BDNF及其受体在抗抑郁症中的作用及其机制研究。     

神经元内抑制神经再生的相关信号通路

神经损伤及其修复是当今医学界的研究热点和难点,以往的研究主要集中于关注如何改善神经元再生的局部微环境。近年来越来越多的研究显示,成年后的神经元本身再生能力低下是神经再生困难的核心原因。现已知神经元内部有多个信号通路对神经再生具有抑制作用,充分理解这些信号通路对于今后通过提高神经元自身的再生能力,从而促进神经修复具有重要意义。为此,通过文献复习,对神经元内部与抑制神经再生有关的信号通路进行了综述。     

Semaphorins在神经发育及突触可塑性中的作用

在神经发育过程中Semaphorins为轴突导向和神经细胞的迁移提供导向信息。在成年脑中,这些导向分子通过抑制自发的或异常的轴突生长来维持已建立的神经连接,并参与突触可塑性,以及中枢神经受损后抑制神经再生与神经细胞的死亡。本文主要介绍Semaphorins在神经发育及突触可塑性中的作用。     

LINGO-1:新发现的脑内神经再生抑制因子

在成年动物和人中枢神经系统 ,髓鞘内的神经再生抑制因子 (MAG、OMgp、Nogo等 )通过与神经元上的特异性受体复合体相互作用 ,启动对神经轴突再生的抑制 ;“Nogo 6 6受体”(Nogo 6 6receptor,即Nogoreceptor 1,NgR1)和“p75神经生长因子受体”是组成此受体复合体的两个关键亚单位 ;被Nogo等激活的受体复合体能活化“胞内骨架调节因子”———RhoA ,RhoA最终实现对轴突延长的抑制。美国学者最近发现 ,在转染后成功表达NgR1和p75的非神经细胞 (COS 7细胞 ) ,神经再生抑制因子OMgp不能激活NgR1和p75复合体、亦不能活化RhoA ,暗示神经…     

神经干细胞移植研究进展

神经干细胞是指一类具有自我更新能力和多向分化潜能的细胞,能分化成为神经元、星形胶质细胞、少突胶质细胞等众多神经细胞。成年哺乳动物内源性神经再生能力有限,无法弥补因神经疾病而导致的神经细胞缺失,因而,人们开始寻求外源性神经干细胞移植治疗中枢神经系统疾病的可能,在动物模型上开展了大量研究,并建立了多种移植方法。该文就神经干细胞的特性、来源、移植方式、在中枢神经系统疾病中的实验研究进展等作一综述。     

新生大鼠脊髓星形胶质细胞体外培养方法

星形胶质细胞是中枢神经系统主要的胶质细胞 ,对神经元具有绝缘、营养、保护和支持作用。它们在中枢神经系统损伤和修复中也具有重要的作用 ,一方面星形胶质细胞可合成神经营养因子 ,促进神经再生[1～ 3] ,另一方面合成神经生长抑制因子 ,如硫酸软骨素蛋白多糖等 [4 ] ,抑制神经再生 ,尤其是损伤恢复后期形成星胶瘢痕被认为是神经再生的机械性障碍。脊髓损伤后的修复一直是神经科学领域研究的一个重要课题 ,随着分子生物学和精密方法、仪器的发展 ,离体研究被越来越多地采用。星形胶质细胞是神经再生微环境中的主要成分 ,深入研究星形胶质细…     

再生神经中微管,神经丝与轴突截面积的变化

用电镜及图象分析的方法研究了再生轴突中微管、神经丝与轴突截面积的变化,发现神经再生过程中微管及神经丝的密度增加,并与轴突截面积呈相关关系,而且微管的变化更早,更明显。由于微管参与了轴浆转运的机制,微管的增加提示其在神经再生中起了重要的作用。     

灵长类动物胫神经和腓总神经损伤再生规律的研究

目的:研究灵长类动物胫神经和腓总神经再生能力差异。方法:健康成年恒河猴16只,分为A、B两组,每组8只,使用刀片切割完全损伤胫神经和腓总神经,后立即予神经外膜缝合,在术后3周、8周分别取A、B组胫神经和腓总神经吻合口远、近端神经组织行Luxol Fast Blue染色,观察胫神经和腓总神经远端、近端轴突数目,计算轴突密度,远端轴突密度/近端轴突密度为神经再生通过率。结果:术后3周和8周时,胫神经和腓总神经相比,胫神经在远端轴突密度、神经通过率等指标上,胫神经愈后优于腓总神经(P0.05)。结论:坐骨神经神经损伤修复后,胫神经轴突通过吻合口的通过率较腓总神经高,吻合口远端有更多的神经轴突,其靶器官有更多的神经纤维支配,这是导致坐骨神经损伤修复后胫神经功能恢复较腓总神经功能恢复好的重要原因之一。     

成年哺乳动物皮质区神经发生的研究进展

神经发生是神经干细胞在适当的条件下分化成功能性整合神经元的过程,主要包括细胞的增殖、迁移、分化和存活。成年神经发生区以前脑室管膜下区(Subventricular zones,SVZ)和海马齿状回颗粒层下区(Subgranular zones,SGZ)为主,但皮质作为神经元和神经胶质细胞数量最多、分布最广,同时也是哺乳动物高度发展的脑区,是否有成年神经元新生,已成为近年来神经科学领域的研究热点[1,2]。现本文就未成熟神经元在皮质区的研究方法、分布、来源与转归、病理生理功能影响等方面探讨成年哺乳动物皮质神经发生现象。     

Adult neurogenesis in the mammalian brain: significant answers and significant questions

Adult neurogenesis, a process of generating functional neurons from adult neural precursors, occurs throughout life in restricted brain regions in mammals. The past decade has witnessed tremendous progress in addressing questions related to almost every aspect of adult neurogenesis in the mammalian brain. Here we review major advances in our understanding of adult mammalian neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus and from the subventricular zone of the lateral ventricle, the rostral migratory stream to the olfactory bulb. We highlight emerging principles that have significant implications for stem cell biology, developmental neurobiology, neural plasticity, and disease mechanisms. We also discuss remaining questions related to adult neural stem cells and their niches, underlying regulatory mechanisms, and potential functions of newborn neurons in the adult brain. Building upon the recent progress and aided by new technologies, the adult neurogenesis field is poised to leap forward in the next decade.     

Function of tau protein in adult newborn neurons

Levels of tau phosphorylation are high during the developmental period of intense neurite outgrowth, but decrease later. We here investigated whether tau protein plays a role in adult neurogenesis. First we demonstrate that new neurons generated in the subgranular zone express tau in a hyperphosphorylated form. Phospho-tau expression colocalized with doublecortin but not with glial fibrillary acidic protein, Ki67 or calbindin. The same was observed in the subventricular zone. Tau knockout mice did not show a significant decrease in the number of doublecortin-positive cells, although a deficit in migration was observed. These findings suggest that basal tau phosphorylation present in adult animals is in part due to neurogenesis, and from Tau knockout mice it seems that tau is involved in normal migration of new neurons.     

Time-of-Day-Dependent Enhancement of Adult Neurogenesis in the Hippocampus

Background

Adult neurogenesis occurs in specific regions of the mammalian brain such as the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. In the neurogenic region, neural progenitor cells continuously divide and give birth to new neurons. Although biological properties of neurons and glia in the hippocampus have been demonstrated to fluctuate depending on specific times of the day, it is unclear if neural progenitors and neurogenesis in the adult brain are temporally controlled within the day.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Here we demonstrate that in the dentate gyrus of the adult mouse hippocampus, the number of M-phase cells shows a day/night variation throughout the day, with a significant increase during the nighttime. The M-phase cell number is constant throughout the day in the subventricular zone of the forebrain, another site of adult neurogenesis, indicating the daily rhythm of progenitor mitosis is region-specific. Importantly, the nighttime enhancement of hippocampal progenitor mitosis is accompanied by a nighttime increase of newborn neurons.

Conclusions/Significance

These results indicate that neurogenesis in the adult hippocampus occurs in a time-of-day-dependent fashion, which may dictate daily modifications of dentate gyrus physiology.     

Neural stem cells and the regulation of adult neurogenesis

Presumably, the 'hard-wired' neuronal circuitry of the adult brain dissuades addition of new neurons, which could potentially disrupt existing circuits. This is borne out by the fact that, in general, new neurons are not produced in the mature brain. However, recent studies have established that the adult brain does maintain discrete regions of neurogenesis from which new neurons migrate and become incorporated into the functional circuitry of the brain. These neurogenic zones appear to be vestiges of the original developmental program that initiates brain formation. The largest of these germinal regions in the adult brain is the subventricular zone (SVZ), which lines the lateral walls of the lateral ventricles. Neural stem cells produce neuroblasts that migrate from the SVZ along a discrete pathway, the rostral migratory stream, into the olfactory bulb where they form mature neurons involved in the sense of smell. The subgranular layer (SGL) of the hippocampal dentate gyrus is another neurogenic region; new SGL neurons migrate only a short distance and differentiate into hippocampal granule cells. Here, we discuss the surprising finding of neural stem cells in the adult brain and the molecular mechanisms that regulate adult neurogenesis.     

Development of neural stem cell in the adult brain

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.     

Targeted Deletion of the ERK5 MAP Kinase Impairs Neuronal Differentiation,Migration, and Survival during Adult Neurogenesis in the Olfactory Bulb

Recent studies have led to the exciting idea that adult-born neurons in the olfactory bulb (OB) may be critical for complex forms of olfactory behavior in mice. However, signaling mechanisms regulating adult OB neurogenesis are not well defined. We recently reported that extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 5, a MAP kinase, is specifically expressed in neurogenic regions within the adult brain. This pattern of expression suggests a role for ERK5 in the regulation of adult OB neurogenesis. Indeed, we previously reported that conditional deletion of erk5 in adult neurogenic regions impairs several forms of olfactory behavior in mice. Thus, it is important to understand how ERK5 regulates adult neurogenesis in the OB. Here we present evidence that shRNA suppression of ERK5 in adult neural stem/progenitor cells isolated from the subventricular zone (SVZ) reduces neurogenesis in culture. By contrast, ectopic activation of endogenous ERK5 signaling via expression of constitutive active MEK5, an upstream activating kinase for ERK5, stimulates neurogenesis. Furthermore, inducible and conditional deletion of erk5 specifically in the neurogenic regions of the adult mouse brain interferes with cell cycle exit of neuroblasts, impairs chain migration along the rostral migratory stream and radial migration into the OB. It also inhibits neuronal differentiation and survival. These data suggest that ERK5 regulates multiple aspects of adult OB neurogenesis and provide new insights concerning signaling mechanisms governing adult neurogenesis in the SVZ-OB axis.     

室管膜下区神经干细胞与神经发生的研究进展

室管膜下区(subventricular zone,SVZ)存在着神经干细胞(nueral stem cells,NSCs),是成年哺乳动物脑内重要的神经发生区域。神经发生过程极为复杂,包括一系列的生物学事件。在病理状态下,SVZ区的细胞增殖,新生的神经细胞迁移到病灶处,取代或修复受损的细胞,起到保护脑组织的作用。该文就SVZ区的神经干细胞、神经发生过程及病理状态下神经发生的相关研究做一综述。