title: Characterization of Np95 expression in mouse brain from embryo to adult: A novel marker for proliferating neural stem/precursor cells.
abstract: Nuclear protein 95 KDa (Np95, also known as UHRF1 or ICBP90) plays an important role in maintaining DNA methylation of newly synthesized DNA strands by recruiting DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) during cell division. In addition, Np95 participates in chromatin remodeling by interacting with histone modification enzymes such as histone deacetylases. However, its expression pattern and function in the brain have not been analyzed extensively. We here investigated the expression pattern of Np95 in the mouse brain, from developmental to adult stages. In the fetal brain, Np95 is abundantly expressed at the midgestational stage, when a large number of neural stem/precursor cells (NS/PCs) exist. Interestingly, Np95 is expressed specifically in NS/PCs but not in differentiated cells such as neurons or glial cells. Furthermore, we demonstrate that Np95 is preferentially expressed in type 2a cells, which are highly proliferative NS/PCs in the dentate gyrus of the adult hippocampus. Moreover, the number of Np95-expressing cells increases in response to kainic acid administration or to voluntary running, which are known to enhance the proliferation of adult NS/PCs. These results suggest that Np95 participates in the process of proliferation and differentiation of NS/PCs, and that it should be a useful novel marker for proliferating NS/PCs, facilitating the analysis of the complex behavior of NS/PCs in the brain.
authors: Department of Stem Cell Biology and Medicine; Graduate School of Medical Sciences; Kyushu University; Fukuoka, Japan; Laboratory of Gene Regulation Research; Graduate School of Biological Sciences; Nara Institute of Science and Technology; Nara, Japan.
authors: Naoya
authors: N
authors: Murao
authors: Department of Stem Cell Biology and Medicine; Graduate School of Medical Sciences; Kyushu University ; Fukuoka, Japan.
authors: Taito
authors: T
authors: Matsuda
authors: Department of Stem Cell Biology and Medicine; Graduate School of Medical Sciences; Kyushu University; Fukuoka, Japan; Laboratory of Gene Regulation Research; Graduate School of Biological Sciences; Nara Institute of Science and Technology; Nara, Japan.
authors: Hirofumi
authors: H
authors: Noguchi
authors: Developmental Genetics; RIKEN Research Center for Allergy and Immunology ; Kanagawa, Japan.
authors: Haruhiko
authors: H
authors: Koseki
authors: Molecular Neurophysiology Research Group; Biomedical Research Institute; National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology ; Ibaraki, Japan.
authors: Masakazu
authors: M
authors: Namihira
authors: Department of Stem Cell Biology and Medicine; Graduate School of Medical Sciences; Kyushu University ; Fukuoka, Japan.
authors: Kinichi
authors: K
authors: Nakashima
keywords: Np95; adult neurogenesis; development; epigenetics; neural stem cell