Adult Neurogenesis in the Hippocampus: From Stem Cells to Behavior.
The dentate gyrus of the mammalian hippocampus continuously generates new neurons during adulthood. These adult-born neurons become functionally active and are thought to contribute to learning and memory, especially during their maturation phase, when they have extraordinary plasticity. In this Review, we discuss the molecular machinery involved in the generation of new neurons from a pool of adult neural stem cells and their integration into functional hippocampal circuits. We also summarize the potential functions of these newborn neurons in the adult brain, their contribution to behavior, and their relevance to disease.
Laboratory of Genetics, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
J Tiago
JT
Gonçalves
Laboratory of Genetics, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
Simon T
ST
Schafer
Laboratory of Genetics, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA. Electronic address: gage@salk.edu.
Fred H
FH
Gage
D053687:Adult Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D058953:Neural Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D055495:Neurogenesis