Intracrine VEGF Signaling Is Required for Adult Hippocampal Neural Stem Cell Maintenance and Vascular Proximity.

ABSTRACT: Adult neural stem cells (NSCs) in the mammalian dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampus rely on multiple signals for their preservation throughout the lifespan. While several studies have suggested that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), in particular VEGF synthesized by NSCs themselves, is critical for NSC maintenance and adult neurogenesis, conflicting studies have left it uncertain how VEGF signals to NSCs. Here, we identified a VEGF-VEGFR2 intracrine signaling mechanism within adult DG NSCs that prevents NSC exhaustion and supports their proximity to local blood vessels. Using cell culture assays, we show that while intracellular VEGF stimulated receptor signaling cascades, extracellular VEGF did not. We found that this primary reliance on intracellular VEGF receptor signaling wa

SUBMITTER: Dause TJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12289830 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature