title: Neural stem cells from adult hippocampus develop essential properties of functional CNS neurons.
abstract: Neural stem cells are present both in the developing nervous system and in the adult nervous system of all mammals, including humans. Little is known, however, about the extent to which stem cells in adults can give rise to new neurons. We used immunocytochemistry, electron microscopy, fluorescence microscopy (FM imaging) and electrophysiology to demonstrate that progeny of adult rat neural stem cells, when co-cultured with primary neurons and astrocytes from neonatal hippocampus, develop into electrically active neurons and integrate into neuronal networks with functional synaptic transmission. We also found that functional neurogenesis from adult stem cells is possible in co-culture with astrocytes from neonatal and adult hippocampus. These studies show that neural stem cells derived from adult tissues, like those derived from embryonic tissues, retain the potential to differentiate into functional neurons with essential properties of mature CNS neurons.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Howard Hughes Medical Institute at the Salk Institute, 10010 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, USA.
authors.forename: Hong-jun
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Charles F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Stevens
authors.forename: Fred H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Gage
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D000943:Antigens, Differentiation / Q000096:biosynthesis; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000166:cytology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000166:cytology*; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology; D008164:Luminescent Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D051381:Rats; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D013569:Synapses / Q000502:physiology; D013779:Tetrodotoxin / Q000494:pharmacology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000943:Antigens, Differentiation; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D013779:Tetrodotoxin