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Plasticity and stem cells in the vertebrate nervous system
D Panchision1, T Hazel, R McKay
1Laboratory of Molecular Biology National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke 36 Convent Drive, MSC 4092 Bethesda MD 20892-4092 USA.
Current Opinion in Cell Biology
|January 23, 1999
Summary
Vertebrate neural precursor cells
Area of Science:
- Developmental biology
- Neuroscience
- Cell biology
Background:
- Neural precursor cells form the basis of the nervous system.
- Understanding neural fate determination is crucial for developmental neuroscience.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the timing and mechanisms of vertebrate neural precursor cell fate decisions.
- Explore the plasticity and common regulatory principles governing these choices.
Main Methods:
- Review of recent experimental findings in neural development.
- Analysis of gene control mechanisms in neural precursors.
Main Results:
- Evidence suggests neural precursor fate choices are often plastic and can be altered.
- Common gene regulatory mechanisms are shared among precursors, indicating fundamental properties.
Conclusions:
- Neural precursor cell fate is not always a fixed, one-way process.
- Shared genetic underpinnings highlight conserved developmental strategies in neural precursors.