Epigenetic regulation of the stem cell mitogen Fgf-2 by Mbd1 in adult neural stem/progenitor cells.

ABSTRACT: Whether and how mechanisms intrinsic to stem cells modulate their proliferation and differentiation are two central questions in stem cell biology. Although exogenous basic fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF-2/Fgf-2) is commonly used to expand adult neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) in vitro, we do not yet understand the functional significance or the molecular regulation of Fgf-2 expressed endogenously by adult NSPCs. We previously demonstrated that methylated CpG binding protein 1 (MBD1/Mbd1) is a transcriptional repressor of Fgf-2 and is enriched in adult brains. Mbd1 deficiency in mice selectively affected adult neurogenesis and the differentiation of NSPCs. Here we show that an Mbd1 and DNA methylation-mediated epigenetic mechanism regulated the expression of stem cell mitogen Fgf-2 i

SUBMITTER: Li X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2562066 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature