High levels of Id1 expression define B1 type adult neural stem cells.

ABSTRACT: Defining the molecular identity of stem cells may be critical for formulating a rational strategy for the therapeutic intervention of stem cell dysfunction. We find that high expression of Id1, a dominant-negative helix-loop-helix transcriptional regulator, identifies a rare population of GFAP(+) astrocytes with stem cell attributes among the subventricular astrocytes in the adult brain. The rare, long-lived, and relatively quiescent Id1(high) astrocytes with morphology characteristic of B1 type astrocytes self-renew and generate migratory neuroblasts that differentiate into olfactory bulb interneurons. Cultured Id1(high) neural stem cells can self-renew asymmetrically and generate a stem and a differentiated cell expressing progressively lower levels of Id1, revealing an Id1 gradient in u

SUBMITTER: Nam HS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2775820 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature