The germinative ventricular zone of embryonic brain contains neural lineage progenitor cells that give rise to neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. The ability to generate neurons persists at adulthood in restricted brain areas. During development, many growth factors exert their effects by interacting with tyrosine kinase receptors and activate the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and the Ra...

The glycosphingolipid SSEA-4 and the glycoprotein YKL-40 have both been associated with human embryonic and neural stem cell differentiation. We investigated the distribution of SSEA-4 and YKL-40 positive cells in proliferative zones of human fetal forebrain using immunohistochemistry and double-labeling immunofluorescence. A few small rounded SSEA-4 and YKL-40 labeled cells were present in the...

Tailless (Tlx) is an orphan nuclear receptor which is specifically expressed in the neural stem cells of the two largest germinal neurogenesis zones in the adult mouse brain, the subventricular zone (SVZ) of the lateral ventricle and the subgranular zone (SGZ) of the dentate gyrus. By interacting with its cofactors, Tlx represses its target genes and plays an important role in the maintenance o...

Chronic hypoxemia, as evidenced in de-acclimatized high-altitude residents or in patients with chronic obstructive respiratory disorders, is a common medical condition that can produce serious neurological alterations. However, the pathogenesis of this phenomenon is unknown. We have found that adult rodents exposed for several days/weeks to hypoxia, with an arterial oxygen tension similar to th...

Intermediate-filament Nestin and group B1 SOX transcription factors (SOX1/2/3) are often employed as markers for neural primordium, suggesting their regulatory link. We have identified adjacent and essential SOX and POU factor binding sites in the Nestin neural enhancer. The 30-bp sequence of the enhancer including these sites (Nes30) showed a nervous system-specific and SOX-POU-dependent enhan...

Postnatal neuronal migration modulates circuit formation and function throughout life is conserved among species. Pathological conditions activate the generation of neuroblasts in ventricular-subventricular zone (V-SVZ) promote their towards a lesion. However, generally terminate before reaching lesion site unless intrinsic capacity modified or environment improved. It important to understand w...

Thyroid hormone exhibits profound effects on neural progenitor turnover, survival, maturation, and differentiation during perinatal development. Studies over the past decade have revealed that thyroid hormone continues to retain an important influence on progenitors within the neurogenic niches of the adult mammalian brain. The focus of the current review is to critically examine and summarize ...