title: Neural stem cells and neuro/gliogenesis in the central nervous system: understanding the structural and functional plasticity of the developing, mature, and diseased brain.
abstract: Neurons and glia in the central nervous system (CNS) originate from neural stem cells (NSCs). Knowledge of the mechanisms of neuro/gliogenesis from NSCs is fundamental to our understanding of how complex brain architecture and function develop. NSCs are present not only in the developing brain but also in the mature brain in adults. Adult neurogenesis likely provides remarkable plasticity to the mature brain. In addition, recent progress in basic research in mental disorders suggests an etiological link with impaired neuro/gliogenesis in particular brain regions. Here, we review the recent progress and discuss future directions in stem cell and neuro/gliogenesis biology by introducing several topics presented at a joint meeting of the Japanese Association of Anatomists and the Physiological Society of Japan in 2015. Collectively, these topics indicated that neuro/gliogenesis from NSCs is a common event occurring in many brain regions at various ages in animals. Given that significant structural and functional changes in cells and neural networks are accompanied by neuro/gliogenesis from NSCs and the integration of newly generated cells into the network, stem cell and neuro/gliogenesis biology provides a good platform from which to develop an integrated understanding of the structural and functional plasticity that underlies the development of the CNS, its remodeling in adulthood, and the recovery from diseases that affect it.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan. yamaguti@m.u-tokyo.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5018-6080
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology and Neuroanatomy, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan. sekit@tokyo-med.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Tatsunori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Seki
authors.affiliation: The Hakubi Center, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Itaru
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Imayoshi
authors.affiliation: Department of Morphological Neural Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Nobuaki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tamamaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Integrative Physiology, Shiga University of Medical Science, Shiga, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshitaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.affiliation: Affective Disorders Research Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshitaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tatebayashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Integrative Physiology, Shiga University of Medical Science, Shiga, Japan.
authors.forename: Seiji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hitoshi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D058953:Neural Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D055495:Neurogenesis / Q000502:physiology*; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000502:physiology; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Gliogenesis; Neural stem cells; Neurogenesis; Plasticity