Whole-brain neuronal and glial migration from neurogenic niches of the adult mouse brain (2015)

Undergraduates: Harish Pudukodu, Bryant W. Su, Wyeth D. Alexander, Allison K. Ryan Randal J. Nonneman, Allison K. Ryan, Nana N. Feinberg, Bentley R. Midkiff, Yongjuan Xia, C. Ryan Miller, Patrick F. Sullivan, James J. Crowley

Faculty Advisor: James Crowley
Department: Biology

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Adult mammalian neurogenesis has become an accepted phenomenon in neurobiology, but the neuroanatomical extent to which it is exhibited in adult mammals is controversial. Furthermore, only few migratory patterns (and associated functional implications) of these adult born cells are well characterized, while others are either undiscovered or under dispute. Here we survey, brain wide, the proliferative behavior of neurons and glia in adult laboratory mice. Following BrdU injections and behavioral tests, the mice were sacrificed and their brains were appropriately sectioned for staining and imaging. Immunohistochemical analyses indicated the presence of neurogenesis and gliogenesis in the classic neurogenic niches in the brain (the subventricular zone of the lateral ventricles and the subgranular zone of the dentate gyrus) and in the subventricular zone of the third ventricle, which is a novel neurogenic finding in mice. Additionally, quantitative histological analyses suggested that adult-born neural progenitor cells migrate to numerous regions in the brain, such as the cortex and striatum, and differentiate into various cell types according to the local environment of the target neuroanatomical region in a predictable manner. These findings present novel insights into the nature of spatiotemporal neurobiological dynamics in adult mammals.