Newborn Granule Cells Research Articles

Transcriptional Profiling of Newly Generated Dentate Granule Cells Using TU Tagging Reveals Pattern Shifts in Gene Expression during Circuit Integration.

Despite representing only a small fraction of hippocampal granule cells, adult-generated newborn granule cells have been implicated in learning and memory (Aimone et al., 2011). Newborn granule cells undergo functional maturation and circuit integration over a period of weeks. However, it is difficult to assess the accompanying gene expression profiles in vivo with high spatial and temporal resolution using traditional methods. Here we used a novel method [“thiouracil (TU) tagging”] to map the profiles of nascent mRNAs in mouse immature newborn granule cells compared with mature granule cells. We targeted a nonmammalian uracil salvage enzyme, uracil phosphoribosyltransferase, to newborn neurons and mature granule cells using retroviral and lentiviral constructs, respectively. Subsequent injection of 4-TU tagged nascent RNAs for analysis by RNA sequencing. Several hundred genes were significantly enhanced in the retroviral dataset compared with the lentiviral dataset. We compared a selection of the enriched genes with steady-state levels of mRNAs using quantitative PCR. Ontology analysis revealed distinct patterns of nascent mRNA expression, with newly generated immature neurons showing enhanced expression for genes involved in synaptic function, and neural differentiation and development, as well as genes not previously associated with granule cell maturation. Surprisingly, the nascent mRNAs enriched in mature cells were related to energy homeostasis and metabolism, presumably indicative of the increased energy demands of synaptic transmission and their complex dendritic architecture. The high spatial and temporal resolution of our modified TU-tagging method provides a foundation for comparison with steady-state RNA analyses by traditional transcriptomic approaches in defining the functional roles of newborn neurons.

Bidirectional Signaling of Neuregulin-2 Mediates Formation of GABAergic Synapses and Maturation of Glutamatergic Synapses in Newborn Granule Cells of Postnatal Hippocampus.

The hippocampal dentate gyrus is one of special brain regions where neurogenesis persists throughout adulthood. Synaptogenesis is a critical step for newborn neurons to be integrated into preexisting neural network. Because neuregulin-2 (NRG2), a growth factor, is intensely expressed in these regions, we investigated whether it plays a role in synaptogenesis and dendritic growth. We found that NRG2 has dual roles in the development of newborn neurons. For GABAergic synaptogenesis, the extracellular domain of NRG2 acts as a ligand for a receptor on GABAergic neurons. In contrast, its intracellular domain was essential for dendritic outgrowth and glutamatergic synapse maturation. These results imply that NRG2 may play a critical role in network integration of newborn neurons.

Clonal Analysis of Newborn Hippocampal Dentate Granule Cell Proliferation and Development in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy.

Hippocampal dentate granule cells are among the few neuronal cell types generated throughout adult life in mammals. In the normal brain, new granule cells are generated from progenitors in the subgranular zone and integrate in a typical fashion. During the development of epilepsy, granule cell integration is profoundly altered. The new cells migrate to ectopic locations and develop misoriented “basal” dendrites. Although it has been established that these abnormal cells are newly generated, it is not known whether they arise ubiquitously throughout the progenitor cell pool or are derived from a smaller number of “bad actor” progenitors. To explore this question, we conducted a clonal analysis study in mice expressing the Brainbow fluorescent protein reporter construct in dentate granule cell progenitors. Mice were examined 2 months after pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus, a treatment that leads to the development of epilepsy. Brain sections were rendered translucent so that entire hippocampi could be reconstructed and all fluorescently labeled cells identified. Our findings reveal that a small number of progenitors produce the majority of ectopic cells following status epilepticus, indicating that either the affected progenitors or their local microenvironments have become pathological. By contrast, granule cells with “basal” dendrites were equally distributed among clonal groups. This indicates that these progenitors can produce normal cells and suggests that global factors sporadically disrupt the dendritic development of some new cells. Together, these findings strongly predict that distinct mechanisms regulate different aspects of granule cell pathology in epilepsy.

Localized hypoxia within the subgranular zone determines the early survival of newborn hippocampal granule cells.

The majority of adult hippocampal newborn cells die during early differentiation from intermediate progenitors (IPCs) to immature neurons. Neural stem cells in vivo are located in a relative hypoxic environment, and hypoxia enhances their survival, proliferation and stemness in vitro. Thus, we hypothesized that migration of IPCs away from hypoxic zones within the SGZ might result in oxidative damage, thus triggering cell death. Hypoxic niches were observed along the SGZ, composed of adult NSCs and early IPCs, and oxidative byproducts were present in adjacent late IPCs and neuroblasts. Stabilizing hypoxia inducible factor-1α with dimethyloxallyl glycine increased early survival, but not proliferation or differentiation, in neurospheres in vitro and in newly born SGZ cells in vivo. Rescue experiments in Bax(fl/fl) mutants supported these results. We propose that localized hypoxia within the SGZ contributes to the neurogenic microenvironment and determines the early, activity-independent survival of adult hippocampal newborn cells.

Distinct roles of NMDA receptors at different stages of granule cell development in the adult brain.

NMDA receptor (NMDAR)-dependent forms of synaptic plasticity are thought to underlie the assembly of developing neuronal circuits and to play a crucial role in learning and memory. It remains unclear how NMDAR might contribute to the wiring of adult-born granule cells (GCs). Here we demonstrate that nascent GCs lacking NMDARs but rescued from apoptosis by overexpressing the pro-survival protein Bcl2 were deficient in spine formation. Insufficient spinogenesis might be a general cause of cell death restricted within the NMDAR-dependent critical time window for GC survival. NMDAR loss also led to enhanced mushroom spine formation and synaptic AMPAR activity throughout the development of newborn GCs. Moreover, similar elevated synapse maturation in the absence of NMDARs was observed in neonate-generated GCs and CA1 pyramidal neurons. Together, these data suggest that NMDAR operates as a molecular monitor for controlling the activity-dependent establishment and maturation rate of synaptic connections between newborn neurons and others.

Dendritic morphology, synaptic transmission, and activity of mature granule cells born following pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus in the rat.

To understand the potential role of enhanced hippocampal neurogenesis after pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus (SE) in the development of epilepsy, we quantitatively analyzed the geometry of apical dendrites, synaptic transmission, and activation levels of normotopically distributed mature newborn granule cells in the rat. SE in male Sprague-Dawley rats (between 6 and 7 weeks old) lasting for more than 2 h was induced by an intraperitoneal injection of pilocarpine. The complexity, spine density, miniature post-synaptic currents, and activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc) expression of granule cells born 5 days after SE were studied between 10 and 17 weeks after CAG-GFP retroviral vector-mediated labeling. Mature granule cells born after SE had dendritic complexity similar to that of granule cells born naturally, but with denser mushroom-like spines in dendritic segments located in the outer molecular layer. Miniature inhibitory post-synaptic currents (mIPSCs) were similar between the controls and rats subjected to SE; however, smaller miniature excitatory post-synaptic current (mEPSC) amplitude with a trend toward less frequent was found in mature granule cells born after SE. After maturation, granule cells born after SE did not show denser Arc expression in the resting condition or 2 h after being activated by pentylenetetrazol-induced transient seizure activity than vicinal GFP-unlabeled granule cells. Thus our results suggest that normotopic granule cells born after pilocarpine-induced SE are no more active when mature than age-matched, naturally born granule cells.

Imaging Newborn Granule Cells in Fixed Sections

This protocol describes the harvesting of brain tissue from mice that have had the retroviral vector CAG-GFP injected into the dentate gyrus. Brain tissue from these mice is dissected, the tissue is fixed, and the sections are prepared. The fixed sections are imaged using fluorescent confocal microscopy, and newborn granule cells containing GFP are visualized and are characterized.

Analysis of Spine Motility of Newborn Granule Cells in Acute Brain Slices.

In this protocol, acute brain slices are prepared from mice in which newborn granule cells have been labeled using retroviral vector technology. Using a live-cell imaging stage and confocal microscopy coupled to imaging software, dendritic spines are analyzed.

Behavioral experience induces zif268 expression in mature granule cells but suppresses its expression in immature granule cells.

Thousands of neurons are born each day in the dentate gyrus (DG), but many of these cells die before reaching maturity. Both death and survival of adult-born neurons are regulated by neuronal activity in the DG. The immediate-early gene (IEG) zif268 appears to be an important mediator of these effects, as its expression can be induced by neural activity and knockout of zif268 impairs survival of adult-born neurons (Richardson et al., 1992; Veyrac et al., 2013). Despite the apparent importance of zif268 for adult neurogenesis, its behavior-induced expression has not been fully characterized in adult-born neurons. Here we characterize behavior-evoked expression of zif268 in mature and newborn dentate granule cells (DGCs). We first quantified zif268 expression in doublecortin-positive (DCX+) immature neurons and in the general granule cell population after brief exposure to a novel environment (NE). In the general granule cell population, zif268 expression peaked 1 h after NE exposure and returned to baseline by 8 h post-exposure. However, in the DCX+ cells, zif268 expression was suppressed relative to home cage for at least 8 h post-exposure. We next asked whether suppression of zif268 in DCX+ immature cells occurs in other behavioral paradigms that recruit the hippocampus. Exposure to Morris water maze (MWM) training, an enriched environment, or a NE caused approximately equal suppression of zif268 expression in DCX+ cells and approximately equal activation of zif268 expression among the general granule cell population. The same behavioral procedures activated zif268 expression in 6-week-old BrdU-labeled adult-born neurons, indicating that zif268 suppression is specific to immature neurons. Finally, we asked whether zif268 suppression varied as a function of age within the DCX+ population, which ranges in age from 0 to approximately 4 weeks. NE exposure had no significant effect on zif268 expression in 2- or 4-week-old BrdU-labeled neurons, but it significantly suppressed zif268 expression in 3-week-old neurons. In summary, behavioral experience transiently activated expression of zif268 in mature granule cells but caused a more long-lasting suppression of zif268 expression in immature, adult-born granule cells. We hypothesize that zif268 suppression inhibits memory-related synaptic plasticity in immature neurons or mediates learning-induced apoptosis of immature adult-born neurons.

Differential Structural Development of Adult-Born Septal Hippocampal Granule Cells in the Thy1-GFP Mouse, Nuclear Size as a New Index of Maturation.

Adult neurogenesis is frequently studied in the mouse hippocampus. We examined the morphological development of adult-born, immature granule cells in the suprapyramidal blade of the septal dentate gyrus over the period of 7–77 days after mitosis with BrdU-labeling in 6-weeks-old male Thy1-GFP mice. As Thy1-GFP expression was restricted to maturated granule cells, it was combined with doublecortin-immunolabeling of immature granule cells. We developed a novel classification system that is easily applicable and enables objective and direct categorization of newborn granule cells based on the degree of dendritic development in relation to the layer specificity of the dentate gyrus. The structural development of adult-generated granule cells was correlated with age, albeit with notable differences in the time course of development between individual cells. In addition, the size of the nucleus, immunolabeled with the granule cell specific marker Prospero-related homeobox 1 gene, was a stable indicator of the degree of a cell's structural maturation and could be used as a straightforward parameter of granule cell development. Therefore, further studies could employ our doublecortin-staging system and nuclear size measurement to perform investigations of morphological development in combination with functional studies of adult-born granule cells. Furthermore, the Thy1-GFP transgenic mouse model can be used as an additional investigation tool because the reporter gene labels granule cells that are 4 weeks or older, while very young cells could be visualized through the immature marker doublecortin. This will enable comparison studies regarding the structure and function between young immature and older matured granule cells.

Postsynaptic gephyrin clustering controls the development of adult-born granule cells in the olfactory bulb.

In adult rodent olfactory bulb, GABAergic signaling regulates migration, differentiation, and synaptic integration of newborn granule cells (GCs), migrating from the subventricular zone. Here we show that these effects depend on the formation of a postsynaptic scaffold organized by gephyrin-the main scaffolding protein of GABAergic synapses, which anchors receptors and signaling molecules to the postsynaptic density-and are regulated by the phosphorylation status of gephyrin. Using lentiviral vectors to selectively transfect adult-born GCs, we observed that overexpression of the phospho-deficient gephyrin mutant eGFP-gephyrin(S270A), which facilitates the formation of supernumerary GABAergic synapses in vitro, favors dendritic branching and the formation of transient GABAergic synapses on spines, identified by the presence of α2-GABAA Rs. In contrast, overexpression of the dominant-negative eGFP-gephyrin(L2B) (a chimera that is enzymatically active but clustering defective), curtailed dendritic growth, spine formation, and long-term survival of GCs, pointing to the essential role of gephyrin cluster formation for its function. We could exclude any gephyrin overexpression artifacts, as GCs infected with eGFP-gephyrin were comparable to those infected with eGFP alone. The opposite effects induced by the two gephyrin mutant constructs indicate that the gephyrin scaffold at GABAergic synapses orchestrates signaling cascades acting on the cytoskeleton to regulate neuronal growth and synapse formation. Specifically, gephyrin phosphorylation emerges as a novel mechanism regulating morphological differentiation and long-term survival of adult-born olfactory bulb neurons.

Fluoxetine enhanced neurogenesis is not translated to functional outcome in stroke rats

Fluoxetine is widely used in clinical practice. It regulates hippocampal neurogenesis, however, the effect of fluoxetine on neurogenesis in the subventricular zone (SVZ) remains controversial. We aimed to study the effect of fluoxetine on neurogenesis in the SVZ and subgranular zone (SGZ) of dentate gyrus (DG) in relation to behavioral recovery after stroke in rats.Adult male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to four groups: sham-operated rats, sham-operated rats treated with fluoxetine, rats subjected to cerebral ischemia, and rats with ischemia treated with fluoxetine. Fluoxetine was orally administrated starting 1 week after ischemia, with a dose of 16mg/kg/day for 3 weeks. Focal cerebral ischemia was induced by intracranial injection of vasoconstrictive peptide endothelin-1(ET-1). Behavioral recovery was evaluated on post-stroke days 29–31 after which the survival rate and fate of proliferating cells in the SVZ and DG were measured by immunohistochemistry.The production of neuroblasts in both the SVZ and DG was significantly increased after stroke. Chronic post-stroke fluoxetine treatment increased the dendritic complexity of newborn dentate granule cells. However, fluoxetine treatment did not influence the survival or differentiation of newly generated cells. Neither fluoxetine treatment improved sensorimotor recovery following focal cerebral ischemia.

Autocrine action of BDNF on dendrite development of adult-born hippocampal neurons.

Dendrite development of newborn granule cells (GCs) in the dentate gyrus of adult hippocampus is critical for their incorporation into existing hippocampal circuits, but the cellular mechanisms regulating their dendrite development remains largely unclear. In this study, we examined the function of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which is expressed in adult-born GCs, in regulating their dendrite morphogenesis. Using retrovirus-mediated gene transfection, we found that deletion and overexpression of BDNF in adult-born GCs resulted in the reduction and elevation of dendrite growth, respectively. This effect was mainly due to the autocrine rather than paracrine action of BDNF, because deletion of BDNF only in the newborn GCs resulted in dendrite abnormality of these neurons to a similar extent as that observed in conditional knockout (cKO) mice with BDNF deleted in the entire forebrain. Furthermore, selective expression of BDNF in adult-born GCs in BDNF cKO mice fully restored normal dendrite development. The BDNF autocrine action was also required for the development of normal density of spines and normal percentage of spines containing the postsynaptic marker PSD-95, suggesting autocrine BDNF regulation of synaptogenesis. Furthermore, increased dendrite growth of adult-born GCs caused by voluntary exercise was abolished by BDNF deletion specifically in these neurons and elevated dendrite growth due to BDNF overexpression in these neurons was prevented by reducing neuronal activity with coexpression of inward rectifier potassium channels, consistent with activity-dependent autocrine BDNF secretion. Therefore, BDNF expressed in adult-born GCs plays a critical role in dendrite development by acting as an autocrine factor.

Cerebellar granule cells are predominantly generated by terminal symmetric divisions of granule cell precursors.

Neurons in the central nervous system (CNS) are generated by symmetric and asymmetric cell division of neural stem cells and their derivative progenitor cells. Cerebellar granule cells are the most abundant neurons in the CNS, and are generated by intensive cell division of granule cell precursors (GCPs) during postnatal development. Dysregulation of GCP cell cycle is causal for some subtypes of medulloblastoma. However, the details and mechanisms underlying neurogenesis from GCPs are not well understood. Using long-term live-cell imaging of proliferating GCPs transfected with a fluorescent newborn-granule cell marker, we found that GCPs underwent predominantly symmetric divisions, generating two GCPs or two neurons, while asymmetric divisions generating a GCP and a neuron were only occasionally observed, in both dissociated culture and within tissues of isolated cerebellar lobules. We found no significant difference in cell cycle length between proliferative and neurogenic divisions, or any consistent changes in cell cycle length during repeated proliferative division. Unlike neural stem cells in the cerebral cortex and spinal cord, which generate many neurons by repeated asymmetric division, cerebellar GCPs produce neurons predominantly by terminal symmetric division. These results indicate diverse mechanisms of neurogenesis in the mammalian brain.

The Wnt adaptor protein ATP6AP2 regulates multiple stages of adult hippocampal neurogenesis.

In the mammalian hippocampus, canonical Wnt signals provided by the microenvironment regulate the differentiation of adult neural stem cells (NSCs) toward the neuronal lineage. Wnts are part of a complex and diverse set of signaling pathways and the role of Wnt/Planar cell polarity (PCP) signaling in adult neurogenesis remains unknown. Using in vitro assays on differentiating adult NSCs, we identified a transition of Wnt signaling responsiveness from Wnt/β-catenin to Wnt/PCP signaling. In mice, retroviral knockdown strategies against ATP6AP2, a recently discovered core protein involved in both signaling pathways, revealed that its dual role is critical for granule cell fate and morphogenesis. We were able to confirm its dual role in neurogenic Wnt signaling in vitro for both canonical Wnt signaling in proliferating adult NSCs and non-canonical Wnt signaling in differentiating neuroblasts. Although LRP6 appeared to be critical for granule cell fate determination, in vivo knockdown of PCP core proteins FZD3 and CELSR1-3 revealed severe maturational defects without changing the identity of newborn granule cells. Furthermore, we found that CELSR1-3 control distinctive aspects of PCP-mediated granule cell morphogenesis with CELSR1 regulating the direction of dendrite initiation sites and CELSR2/3 controlling radial migration and dendritic patterning. The data presented here characterize distinctive roles for Wnt/β-catenin signaling in granule cell fate determination and for Wnt/PCP signaling in controlling the morphological maturation of differentiating neuroblasts.

Rescue of Methyl-CpG Binding Protein 2 Dysfunction-induced Defects in Newborn Neurons by Pentobarbital.

Rett syndrome is a neurodevelopmental disorder that usually arises from mutations or deletions in methyl-CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2), a transcriptional regulator that affects neuronal development and maturation without causing cell loss. Here, we show that silencing of MeCP2 decreased neurite arborization and synaptogenesis in cultured hippocampal neurons from rat fetal brains. These structural defects were associated with alterations in synaptic transmission and neural network activity. Similar retardation of dendritic growth was also observed in MeCP2-deficient newborn granule cells in the dentate gyrus of adult mouse brains in vivo, demonstrating direct and cell-autonomous effects on individual neurons. These defects, caused by MeCP2 deficiency, were reversed by treatment with the US Food and Drug Administration-approved drug, pentobarbital, in vitro and in vivo, possibly caused by modulation of γ-aminobutyric acid signaling. The results indicate that drugs modulating γ-aminobutyric acid signaling are potential therapeutics for Rett syndrome.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s13311-015-0343-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Effect of febrile seizures on newborn hippocampal dentate granule cell morphology

Event Abstract Back to Event Effect of febrile seizures on newborn hippocampal dentate granule cell morphology Marjolein Raijmakers1, 2*, Elke Clynen1, Nick Smisdom1, 3, Sofie Nelissen1, Bert Brône1, Jean-Michel Rigo1, Govert Hoogland2 and Ann Swijsen1 1 Hasselt University, Biomedical Research Institute BIOMED, Belgium 2 Maastricht University Medical Center, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Netherlands 3 Flemish Institute for Technological Research, Environmental Risk and Health Unit, Belgium Febrile seizures (FS) are a risk factor for the development of temporal lobe epilepsy in later life. Previously, we have shown that experimental FS alter inhibitory synaptic input and postsynaptic GABA(A) receptor function of dentate granule cells (DGC). Moreover, we showed that the survival of DGC, born after seizures, increased. Newborn DGC are therefore hypothesized to contribute to the development of a hyperexcitable hippocampal network and to play a role in the development of temporal lobe epilepsy in later life. In this study, we analyzed structural integration of newborn DGC into the existing hippocampal network. We used an established model where FS are induced in 10-day old rat pups by subjecting them to heated air. Newborn DG cells were labelled one day after treatment by a stereotactic injection of eGFP expressing retroviral particles in the dentate gyrus. After one, four and eight weeks, confocal Z-stacks were acquired allowing morphological analyses of GFP positive DG cells. Preliminary results show that one week after FS, dendritic length is significantly increased compared to controls. Moreover, four and eight weeks after seizures, Sholl analysis revealed that dendritic complexity is increased in FS animals. From these data we conclude that experimental FS can alter dendritogenesis in post-FS born DG cells. These changes are expected to result in an increased connectivity of the hippocampal network. Acknowledgements This research was financially supported by a ‘Bijzonder Onderzoeksfonds’ grant from Hasselt University. Keywords: febrile seizures, Neurogenesis, Dentate Gyrus, Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe, integration Conference: 11th National Congress of the Belgian Society for Neuroscience, Mons, Belgium, 22 May - 22 May, 2015. Presentation Type: Oral or Poster presentation Topic: Neuroscience Citation: Raijmakers M, Clynen E, Smisdom N, Nelissen S, Brône B, Rigo J, Hoogland G and Swijsen A (2015). Effect of febrile seizures on newborn hippocampal dentate granule cell morphology. Front. Neurosci. Conference Abstract: 11th National Congress of the Belgian Society for Neuroscience. doi: 10.3389/conf.fnins.2015.89.00039 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 29 Apr 2015; Published Online: 05 May 2015. * Correspondence: Ms. Marjolein Raijmakers, Hasselt University, Biomedical Research Institute BIOMED, Hasselt, Belgium, Marjolein.Raijmakers@uhasselt.be Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Marjolein Raijmakers Elke Clynen Nick Smisdom Sofie Nelissen Bert Brône Jean-Michel Rigo Govert Hoogland Ann Swijsen Google Marjolein Raijmakers Elke Clynen Nick Smisdom Sofie Nelissen Bert Brône Jean-Michel Rigo Govert Hoogland Ann Swijsen Google Scholar Marjolein Raijmakers Elke Clynen Nick Smisdom Sofie Nelissen Bert Brône Jean-Michel Rigo Govert Hoogland Ann Swijsen PubMed Marjolein Raijmakers Elke Clynen Nick Smisdom Sofie Nelissen Bert Brône Jean-Michel Rigo Govert Hoogland Ann Swijsen Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.

Neurogenesis in the septal and temporal part of the adult rat dentate gyrus.

Structural and functional dissociation between the septal and the temporal part of the dentate gyrus predispose for possible differentiations in the ongoing neurogenesis process of the adult hippocampus. In this study, BrdU-dated subpopulations of the rat septal and temporal dentate gyrus (coexpressing GFAP, DCX, NeuN, calretinin, calbindin, S100, caspase-3 or fractin) were quantified comparatively at 2, 5, 7, 14, 21, and 30 days after BrdU administration in order to examine the successive time-frames of the neurogenesis process, the glial or neuronal commitment of newborn cells and the occurring apoptotic cell death. Newborn neurons' migration from the neurogenic subgranular zone to the inner granular cell layer and expression of glutamate NMDA and AMPA receptors were also studied. BrdU immunocytochemistry revealed comparatively higher numbers of BrdU(+) cells in the septal part, but stereological analysis of newborn and total granule cells showed an identical ratio in the two parts, indicating an equivalent neurogenic ability, and a common topographical pattern along each part's longitudinal and transverse axis. Similarly, both parts exhibited extremely low levels of newborn glial and apoptotic cells. However, despite the initially equal division rate and pattern of the septal and temporal proliferating cells, their later proliferative profile diverged in the two parts. Dynamic differences in the differentiation, migration and maturation process of the two BrdU-incorporating subpopulations of newborn neurons were also detected, along with differences in their survival pattern. Therefore, we propose that various factors, including developmental date birth, local DG microenvironment and distinct functionality of the two parts may be the critical regulators of the ongoing neurogenesis process, leading the septal part to a continuous, rapid, and less-disciplined genesis rate, whereas the quiescent temporal microenvironment preserves a quite steady, less-demanding neurogenesis process.

Forced limb-use enhanced neurogenesis and behavioral recovery after stroke in the aged rats

Constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) after stroke enhances not only functional reorganization but also structural plasticity of the brain in the adult rats. We examined whether forced limb-use which mimicked CIMT could influence ischemia-induced neurogenesis, apoptosis and behavioral recovery in the aged rats. Aged rats were divided into a sham group, an ischemia group, and an ischemia group with forced limb-use. Focal cerebral ischemia was induced by injection of endothelin-1. Forced limb-use began on post-stroke day 7 by fitting a plaster cast around the unimpaired upper limbs of rats for 3weeks. Behavioral recovery was evaluated by tapered/ledged beam-walking test on postoperative day 32. The expression of doublecortin, neuronal nuclei, glial fibrillary acidic protein and Iba-1 were measured by single or double immunohistochemistry, and apoptosis was measured by TdT-mediated dUTP-biotin nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay. The production of neuroblasts in the subventricular zone (SVZ) was significantly increased after stroke. Forced limb-use enhanced the proliferation of newborn neurons in the SVZ, as well as increased the long-term survival of newborn neurons. Furthermore, forced limb-use suppressed apoptosis and improved the motor functions after stroke in the aged rats. Forced limb-use exerted few effects on inflammation. Neither the number nor dendritic complexity of newborn granule cells in the hippocampus was affected by forced limb-use. Forced limb-use is effective in enhancing neurogenesis and behavioral recovery after stroke even in the aged rats.

Short- and long-term treatment with modafinil differentially affects adult hippocampal neurogenesis

The generation of new neurons in the dentate gyrus of the adult brain has been demonstrated in many species including humans and is suggested to have functional relevance for learning and memory. The wake promoting drug modafinil has popularly been categorized as a so-called neuroenhancer due to its positive effects on cognition. We here show that short- and long-term treatment with modafinil differentially effects hippocampal neurogenesis. We used different thymidine analogs (5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU), chlorodeoxyuridine (CldU), iododeoxyuridine (IdU)) and labeling protocols to investigate distinct regulative events during hippocampal neurogenesis, namely cell proliferation and survival. Eight-week-old mice that were treated with modafinil (64mg/kg, i.p.) every 24h for 4days show increased proliferation in the dentate gyrus indicated by BrdU-labeling and more newborn granule cells 3weeks after treatment. Short-term treatment for 4days also enhanced the number of postmitotic calretinin-expressing progenitor cells that were labeled with BrdU 1week prior to treatment indicating an increased survival of new born immature granule cells. Interestingly, long-term treatment for 14days resulted in an increased number of newborn Prox1+ granule cells, but we could not detect an additive effect of the prolonged treatment on proliferation and survival of newborn cells. Moreover, daily administration for 14days did not influence the number of proliferating cells in the dentate gyrus. Together, modafinil has an acute impact on precursor cell proliferation as well as survival but loses this ability during longer treatment durations.