Analysis of molecular mechanisms regulating neural progenitor cells in the early neocortex

在发育中的新皮层中，神经祖细胞（neural progenitor cells, npc）按时间顺序产生六层皮层的神经元。维持npc对于在所需时间内生成不同类型的神经元至关重要。在这项研究中，我们发现了Nepro，一个在发育中的小鼠早期新皮层中表达的基因。Nepro错表达仅在早期新皮层抑制神经元分化。siRNA敲低Nepro可导致神经元的早熟分化。Nepro的表达受Notch调控，这对NPCs的维持很重要。这些结果表明Nepro参与Notch下游早期新皮层NPCs的维持。

In the developing neocortex, neural progenitor cells (NPCs) produce neurons of the six cortical layers in a temporal order. Maintenance of NPCs is essential for the generation of distinct types of neurons at the required time. In this study, we identified Nepro, a gene expressed in the developing mouse neocortex at early stages. Misexpression of Nepro inhibits neuronal differentiation only in the early neocortex. Knockdown of Nepro by siRNA causes precocious differentiation of neurons. Expression of Nepro is regulated by Notch, which has been shown to be important for the maintenance of NPCs. These results indicate that Nepro is involved in the maintenance of NPCs in the early neocortex downstream of Notch.