Epigenetic regulation in adult neural stem cells

Abstract

Neural stem cells (NSCs) exhibit self-renewing and multipotential properties. Adult NSCs are located in two neurogenic regions of adult brain: the ventricular-subventricular zone (V-SVZ) of the lateral ventricle and the subgranular zone of the dentate gyrus in the hippocampus. Maintenance and differentiation of adult NSCs are regulated by both intrinsic and extrinsic signals that may be integrated through expression of some key factors in the adult NSCs. A number of transcription factors have been shown to play essential roles in transcriptional regulation of NSC cell fate transitions in the adult brain. Epigenetic regulators have also emerged as key players in regulation of NSCs, neural progenitor cells and their differentiated progeny via epigenetic modifications including DNA methylation, histone modifications, chromatin remodeling and RNA-mediated transcriptional regulation. This minireview is primarily focused on epigenetic regulations of adult NSCs during adult neurogenesis, in conjunction with transcriptional regulation in these processes.

Epigenetic Regulation of Neural Stem Cells in Developmental and Adult Stages

“…Since NSCs must be sustained from embryonic to adult stages to maintain life-long neurogenesis, the mechanism of sustaining NSCs into adulthood is crucial for neurogenesis in the adult brain. Recent research studies have shown the importance of histone modifications in controlling these processes to support adult neurogenesis [ 74 , 75 , 76 ]. In this section, we present examples of epigenetic mechanisms underlying the regulation of neurogenesis in the adult brain ( Figure 3 and Figure 4 ).…”