title: Neural Stem Cells and Nutrients: Poised Between Quiescence and Exhaustion.
abstract: Adult neurogenesis initiated by neural stem cells (NSCs) contributes to brain homeostasis, damage repair, and cognition. Energy metabolism plays a pivotal role in neurogenic cell fate decisions regarding self-renewal, expansion and multilineage differentiation. NSCs need to fine-tune quiescence and proliferation/commitment to guarantee lifelong neurogenesis and avoid premature exhaustion. Accumulating evidence supports a model whereby calorie restriction or increased energy expenditure reinforce NSC quiescence and promote self-renewal. Conversely, growth/proliferation inputs and anabolic signals, although necessary for neurogenesis, deplete the NSCs pool in the long run. This framework incorporates the emerging neurogenic roles of nutrient-sensing signaling pathways, providing a rationale for the alarming connection between nutritional imbalances, metabolic disorders and accelerated brain aging.
authors.affiliation: Institute of General Pathology, Università Cattolica School of Medicine, 00168 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Virve
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cavallucci
authors.affiliation: Institute of General Pathology, Università Cattolica School of Medicine, 00168 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fidaleo
authors.affiliation: Institute of General Pathology, Università Cattolica School of Medicine, 00168 Rome, Italy. Electronic address: giovambattista.pani@unicatt.it.
authors.forename: Giovambattista
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pani
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D058953:Neural Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D055495:Neurogenesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: adult neurogenesis; brain aging; metabolism; neural stem cells (NSC); self-renewal