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Updated: Dec 2, 2025
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Antibody Uptake Assay for Tracking Notch/Delta Endocytosis During the Asymmetric Division of Zebrafish Radial Glia Progenitors
Published on: January 20, 2023
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Asymmetric neurogenic commitment of retinal progenitors involves Notch through the endocytic pathway
Elisa Nerli1,2, Mauricio Rocha-Martins1,2, Caren Norden1,2
1Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany.
Elife
|November 3, 2020
Summary
Neural progenitor cells balance proliferation and differentiation via asymmetric cell division, regulated by Notch signaling and endosome inheritance, revealing potential intermediate progenitor states during brain development.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Progenitor cells must balance proliferation and differentiation for proper neuron generation.
- Regulation of multipotent progenitor divisions for neurogenic entry is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the mechanisms regulating progenitor cell division during neurogenesis using zebrafish retina.
- To elucidate the role of Notch signaling in progenitor cell asymmetry and neurogenic entry.
Main Methods:
- Quantitative live-imaging of zebrafish retinal development.
- Inhibition of Notch signaling.
- Analysis of progenitor cell division patterns (symmetric vs. asymmetric).
- Investigation of endosome inheritance (Sara-positive).
Main Results:
- Early neurogenic progenitors originate from asymmetric cell divisions.
- Notch inhibition leads to symmetric divisions, producing two neurogenic progenitors.
- Notch regulates asymmetry via Sara-positive endosome inheritance, not apicobasal gradients.
- Neurogenic progenitors exhibit distinct cell biological features compared to multipotent progenitors, suggesting an intermediate state.
Conclusions:
- Asymmetric progenitor cell division, regulated by Notch and endosome inheritance, is crucial for neurogenesis.
- The findings challenge previous models of Notch function and suggest a novel intermediate progenitor state in retinal development.
- This study provides new insights into the regulation of proliferation and differentiation in the central nervous system.
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