Prospective isolation of adult neural stem cells and their lineage derivatives revealed novel factors for the stem cell niche

Adult neural stem cells are unique as they achieve constant generation of new neurons in the adult mammalian brain. In order to study the molecular mechanisms regulating this neurogenesis we established fluorescence-activated cell sorting as a tool to isolate adult neural stem cells from the mouse subependymal zone as well as their progeny the transit-amplifying progenitors and neuroblasts. Gene expression analysis confirmed the phenomenon of neurogenic priming, with neuronal fate determinants starting to be up-regulated at mRNA level already in stem cells and further rising in transit-amplifying progenitors and neuroblasts. We also discovered a novel factor expressed highly in the neural stem cells but then decreasing in the further progeny. Functional analysis of this novel factor in the adult neural stem cell niche will be presented, as well as detailed description of the FACS protocol .