Distinct Mammalian Precursors Are Committed To Generate Neurons With Defined Dendritic Projection Patterns

The mammalian brain contains a large number of different classes of
neurons that are connected in a specific manner. A long-standing question
is how
such stereotyped connections emerge during the assembly of the brain. In a
new study published online this week in the open-access journal PLoS
Biology, Wolfgang Kelsch, Carlos Lois, and colleagues investigated whether
neonatal and adult brain stem cells give rise to neurons whose connections
can be influenced by the partners that they encounter while maturing, or
alternatively, whether these connections are predetermined from the moment
that a neuron is born.

They observed the existence of distinct populations
of precursor cells committed to generating neurons with a specific pattern
of connections. Furthermore, the pattern of connections formed by these
neurons was largely independent of the environment in which the neurons
matured. These results have important implications for the formation of
neuronal circuits, as they indicate that the connections of a new neuron
can
be determined in their precursors.

In particular, these observations
suggest that for neuronal replacement therapies to be successful, it will
be
necessary to understand the genetic programs that control how stem cells
are prespecified to produce neurons with a stereotypic pattern of
connections.



Citation: Kelsch W, Mosley CP, Lin CW, Lois C (2007) Distinct mammalian
precursors are committed to generate neurons with defined dendritic
projection
patterns. PLoS Biol
5(11): e300. doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.0050300
Please click here

plosbiology

About the Public Library of Science


The Public Library of Science (PLoS) is a non-profit organization of
scientists and physicians committed to making the world's scientific and
medical
literature a freely available public resource.



Public Library of Science

185 Berry Street, Suite 3100

San Francisco, CA 94107

USA