Autophagy drives the conversion of developmental neural stem cells to the adult quiescent state.

ABSTRACT: Neurogenesis in the adult mammalian brain relies on the lifelong persistence of quiescent neural stem cell (NSC) reservoirs. Little is known about the mechanisms that lead to the initial establishment of quiescence, the main hallmark of adult stem cells, during development. Here we show that protein aggregates and autophagy machinery components accumulate in developmental radial glia-like NSCs as they enter quiescence and that pharmacological or genetic blockade of autophagy disrupts quiescence acquisition and maintenance. Conversely, increasing autophagy through AMPK/ULK1 activation instructs the acquisition of the quiescent state without affecting BMP signaling, a gatekeeper of NSC quiescence during adulthood. Selective ablation of Atg7, a critical gene for autophagosome formation, in ra

SUBMITTER: Calatayud-Baselga I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10673888 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature