Functional neurogenesis in the adult hippocampus.
There is extensive evidence indicating that new neurons are generated in the dentate gyrus of the adult mammalian hippocampus, a region of the brain that is important for learning and memory. However, it is not known whether these new neurons become functional, as the methods used to study adult neurogenesis are limited to fixed tissue. We use here a retroviral vector expressing green fluorescent protein that only labels dividing cells, and that can be visualized in live hippocampal slices. We report that newly generated cells in the adult mouse hippocampus have neuronal morphology and can display passive membrane properties, action potentials and functional synaptic inputs similar to those found in mature dentate granule cells. Our findings demonstrate that newly generated cells mature into functional neurons in the adult mammalian brain.
van Praag
Henriette
H
Laboratory of Genetics, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, California 92037, USA. vanpraag@salk.edu
Schinder
Alejandro F
AF
Christie
Brian R
BR
Toni
Nicolas
N
Palmer
Theo D
TD
Gage
Fred H
FH
D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002455:Cell Division; D018891:Dentate Gyrus / Q000166:cytology*; D005260:Female; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D008564:Membrane Potentials; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009434:Neural Pathways; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013569:Synapses
D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins