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Regulating neurogenesis

19 January 2010

NIMR scientists have identified a novel mechanism contributing to the regulation of cell differentiation in the nervous system. The research is published in Developmental Cell. 

During nervous system development, progenitor cells differentiate to form a wide variety of neuronal and glial cell types at appropriate locations and in correct numbers. Specific intercellular signals have key roles in controlling these processes in which they promote or inhibit neuronal differentiation. In some regions of the vertebrate nervous system, inhibitory signals generated by particular progenitor cells underlie formation of non-neurogenic zones, within which neuronal differentiation does not occur.

Rosa Gonzalez-Quevedo and David Wilkinson (pictured) in NIMR's Division of Developmental Neurobiology show that during development of the zebrafish hindbrain, activation of FGF receptor inhibits neurogenesis in the centre of each hindbrain segment. In part, this inhibition is achieved by antagonism of retinoid signaling that promotes neuronal differentiation. The critical activator of FGF receptor is identified to be FGF20a which is expressed by specific neurons located adjacent to the non-neurogenic zone. These findings reveal a mechanism in which inhibitory signaling from neurons induces formation of a non-neurogenic zone of neural progenitors.

Elucidation of how cell interactions regulate differentiation in the nervous system is important both for understanding fundamental mechanisms of development and for manipulation of neural stem cells. Our discovery that FGF signaling from specific neurons underlies spatial patterning of neurogenesis will stimulate investigation of whether there are further roles of FGFs in such feedback signaling from neurons to progenitors.

David Wilkinson

Original article

The research findings are published in full in:

 

Rosa Gonzalez-Quevedo, Yoonsung Lee, Kenneth D. Poss and David G. Wilkinson (2010).

Neuronal regulation of the spatial patterning of neurogenesis.

 Developmental Cell, Vol 18, p136-47. Publisher abstract

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