New Neurons Have Lasting Effect

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HD Lighthouse Editor's Comment: Of course we want to know if new neurons really last. They last at least 11 months in mice. Eleven mice months is about 35 human years. Another important question for researcher is "What signals the migrating neurocytes (progenitor cells) where to go and how to connect up"? --Jerry

Posted to HDLighthouse: 05 Dec 2002 13:33

HDL Update: New Neurons Have Lasting Effect

"These new data suggest that new neurons are recruited early from the pool of proliferating progenitor cells and lead to a lasting effect of adult neurogenesis." Dr. Fred Gage, Discoverer of neurogenesis in the adult human brain.

Early determination and long-term persistence of adult-generated new neurons in the hippocampus of mice.

New neurons are continually generated in the adult hippocampus, but the important question, whether adult neurogenesis is transient or leads to the lasting presence of new neurons, has not yet been answered.

Dividing cells were labeled with bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) and were investigated by means of immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy at several time-points 1 day to 11 months thereafter.

BrdU-labeled neurons remained stable in number and in their relative position in the granule cell layer over at least 11 months. This finding implies that the addition of new neurons is not transient and that their final number and localization are determined early. By contrast, expression of immature markers beta-III-tubulin and doublecortin in BrdU-labeled cells, peaked early after division and was not detectable after 4 weeks. In transgenic mice expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein under the nestin promoter none of the BrdU/nestin-positive cells early after division expressed the mature marker NeuN, confirming that no dividing neurons were detected.

These new data suggest that new neurons are recruited early from the pool of proliferating progenitor cells and lead to a lasting effect of adult neurogenesis.

# # # See: Human Brains Sprout New Cells

Source: Development 2003 Jan 15;130(2):391-399

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