title: Electrophysiological properties of subventricular zone cells in adult mouse brain.
abstract: The subventricular zone (SVZ) is a principal site of adult neurogenesis and appears to participate in the brain's response to injury. Thus, measures that enhance SVZ neurogenesis may have a role in treatment of neurological disease. To better characterize SVZ cells and identify potential targets for therapeutic intervention, we studied electrophysiological properties of SVZ cells in adult mouse brain slices using patch-clamp techniques. Electrophysiology was correlated with immunohistochemical phenotype by injecting cells with lucifer yellow and by studying transgenic mice carrying green fluorescent protein under control of the doublecortin (DCX) or glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) promoter. We identified five types of cells in the adult mouse SVZ: type 1 cells, with 4-aminopyridine (4-AP)/tetraethylammonium (TEA)-sensitive and CdCl(2)-sensitive inward currents; type 2 cells, with Ca(2+)-sensitive K(+) and both 4-AP/TEA-sensitive and -insensitive currents; type 3 cells, with 4-AP/TEA-sensitive and -insensitive K(+) and small Na(+) currents; type 4 cells, with slowly activating, large linear outward current and sustained outward current without fast-inactivating component; and type 5 cells, with a large outward rectifying current with a fast inactivating component. Type 2 and 3 cells expressed DCX, types 4 and 5 cells expressed GFAP, and type 1 cells expressed neither. We propose that SVZ neurogenesis involves a progression of electrophysiological cell phenotypes from types 4 and 5 cells (astrocytes) to type 1 cells (neuronal progenitors) to types 2 and 3 cells (nascent neurons), and that drugs acting on ion channels expressed during neurogenesis might promote therapeutic neurogenesis in the injured brain.
authors.affiliation: Buck Institute for Age Research, 8001 Redwood Boulevard, Novato, California 94945, USA.
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Xiao Ou
authors.initials: XO
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Su-Youne
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Zhi-Gang
authors.initials: ZG
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.forename: Kunlin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Greenberg
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002552:Cerebral Ventricles / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D000089662:Doublecortin Protein; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D007546:Isoquinolines; D020547:Lateral Ventricles / Q000166:cytology; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D055495:Neurogenesis / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C000714847:Dcx protein, mouse; D000089662:Doublecortin Protein; D007546:Isoquinolines; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; C017475:lucifer yellow