biostudies-literatureUnknown18(7)Kandasamy MMembers of the transforming growth factor (TGF)-β family govern a wide range of mechanisms in brain development and in the adult, in particular neuronal/glial differentiation and survival, but also cell cycle regulation and neural stem cell maintenance. This clearly created some discrepancies in the field with some studies favouring neuronal differentiation/survival of progenitors and others favouring cell cycle exit and neural stem cell quiescence/maintenance. Here, we provide a unifying hypothesis claiming that through its regulation of neural progenitor cell (NPC) proliferation, TGF-β signalling might be responsible for (i) maintaining stem cells in a quiescent stage, and (ii) promoting survival of newly generated neurons and their functional differentiation. Therefore, we performed a dJournal of cellular and molecular medicine1444-59https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC4124027biostudies-literatureTGF-beta signalling in the adult neurogenic niche promotes stem cell quiescence as well as generation of new neurons.PMC4124027Reitsamer HAKraus SSander PRBogdahn UKandasamy MLehner BCouillard-Despres SUeberham UAigner LMarschallinger JRivera FJTrumbach DStrauss OfalseTGF-beta signalling in the adult neurogenic niche promotes stem cell quiescence as well as generation of new neurons.Members of the transforming growth factor (TGF)-β family govern a wide range of mechanisms in brain development and in the adult, in particular neuronal/glial differentiation and survival, but also cell cycle regulation and neural stem cell maintenance. This clearly created some discrepancies in the field with some studies favouring neuronal differentiation/survival of progenitors and others favouring cell cycle exit and neural stem cell quiescence/maintenance. Here, we provide a unifying hypothesis claiming that through its regulation of neural progenitor cell (NPC) proliferation, TGF-β signalling might be responsible for (i) maintaining stem cells in a quiescent stage, and (ii) promoting survival of newly generated neurons and their functional differentiation. Therefore, we performed a d2014-01-01T00:00:00Z2014 Jul2026-04-30T13:32:46.028Z2026-04-07T16:04:25.662ZS-EPMC41240272477936710.1111/jcmm.12298