title: Purification of a pluripotent neural stem cell from the adult mouse brain.
abstract: The adult mammalian central nervous system (CNS) contains a population of neural stem cells (NSCs) with properties said to include the generation of non-neural progeny. However, the precise identity, location and potential of the NSC in situ remain unclear. We purified NSCs from the adult mouse brain by flow cytometry, and directly examined the cells' properties. Here we show that one type of NSC, which expresses the protein nestin but only low levels of PNA-binding and HSA proteins, is found in both ependymal and subventricular zones and accounts for about 63% of the total NSC activity. Furthermore, the selective depletion of the population of this stem cell in querkopf mutant mice (which are deficient in production of olfactory neurons) suggests that it acts as a major functional stem cell in vivo. Most freshly isolated NSCs, when co-cultured with a muscle cell line, rapidly differentiated in vitro into myocytes that contain myosin heavy chain (MyHC). This demonstrates that a predominant, functional type of stem cell exists in the periventricular region of the adult brain with the intrinsic ability to generate neural and non-neural cells.
authors.affiliation: The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria 3050, Australia.
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Rietze
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Valcanis
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Brooker
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Voss
authors.forename: P F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Bartlett
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000378:metabolism; D000943:Antigens, Differentiation / Q000378:metabolism; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000166:cytology; D051927:CD24 Antigen; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002460:Cell Line; D002469:Cell Separation / Q000379:methods; D002552:Cerebral Ventricles / Q000166:cytology*; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D005434:Flow Cytometry / Q000379:methods; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D051379:Mice; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D009154:Mutation; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D064231:Nestin; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D019887:Peanut Agglutinin / Q000378:metabolism; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D000943:Antigens, Differentiation; D051927:CD24 Antigen; C497890:Cd24a protein, mouse; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C577485:Nes protein, mouse; D064231:Nestin; D019887:Peanut Agglutinin