title: Multi-directional differentiation of doublecortin- and NG2-immunopositive progenitor cells in the adult rat neocortex in vivo.
abstract: In the adult mammalian brain, multipotent stem or progenitor cells involved in reproduction of neurons and glial cells have been well investigated only in very restricted regions; the subventricular zone of the lateral ventricle and the dentate gyrus in the hippocampal formation. In the neocortex, a series of in vitro studies has suggested the possible existence of neural progenitor cells possessing neurogenic and/or gliogenic potential in adult mammals. However, the cellular properties of the cortical progenitor cells in vivo have not been fully elucidated. Using 5'-bromodeoxyuridine labeling and immunohistochemical analysis of cell differentiation markers, we found that a subpopulation of NG2-immunopositive cells co-expressing doublecortin (DCX), an immature neuron marker, ubiquitously reside in the adult rat neocortex. Furthermore, these cells are the major population of proliferating cells in the region. The DCX(+)/NG2(+) cells reproduced the same daughter cells, or differentiated into DCX(+)/NG2(-) (approximately 1%) or DCX(-)/NG2(+) (approximately 10%) cells within 2 weeks after cell division. The DCX(+)/NG2(-) cells were also immunopositive for TUC-4, a neuronal linage marker, suggesting that these cells were committed to neuronal cell differentiation, whereas the DCX(-)/NG2(+) cells showed faint immunoreactivity for glutathione S-transferase (GST)-pi, an oligodendrocyte lineage marker, in the cytoplasm, suggesting glial cell lineage, and thereafter the cells differentiated into NG2(-)/GST-pi(+) mature oligodendrocytes after a further 2 weeks. These findings indicate that DCX(+)/NG2(+) cells ubiquitously exist as 'multipotent progenitor cells' in the neocortex of adult rats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Cell Science, KMU 21C COE Project, Kansai Medical University, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuhisa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tamura
authors.forename: Yosky
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kataoka
authors.forename: Yilong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Yasuharu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takamori
authors.forename: Yasuyoshi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Hisao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamada
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine / Q000378:metabolism; D002452:Cell Count; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D000089622:Doublecortin Domain Proteins; D000089662:Doublecortin Protein; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008954:Models, Biological; D039902:Multipotent Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D019579:Neocortex / Q000166:cytology*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D013997:Time Factors; D053675:Versicans / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C000714848:Dcx protein, rat; D000089622:Doublecortin Domain Proteins; D000089662:Doublecortin Protein; C449760:Dpysl3 protein, rat; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D009479:Neuropeptides; C508324:Vcan protein, rat; D053675:Versicans; D005982:Glutathione Transferase; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine