Control of cellular differentiation in the developing brain

该项目旨在了解成熟的脑细胞在胎儿生命中是如何形成的。核心假设是，一个特定的转录因子家族，称为NFI，调节细胞的表观遗传状态，允许染色质可及性和随后的转录激活和抑制，以控制细胞分化。目的1和2将研究脑细胞如何从增殖的祖细胞转变为分化的成熟细胞类型。目的3将研究分化是如何在成人大脑中维持的。所使用的方法涉及从转基因小鼠模型分离的细胞的基因组和染色质分析。成果和益处是获得了大量适用于干细胞调节和大脑健康的知识。

This project aims to understand how mature brain cells form during foetal life. The central hypothesis is that a specific transcription factor family, called NFI, regulates the epigenetic state of the cell, allowing chromatin accessibility and subsequent transcriptional activation and repression to control cellular differentiation. Aims 1 and 2 will investigate how brain cells transition from proliferating progenitor cells to differentiated mature cell types. Aim 3 will investigate how differentiation is maintained in the adult brain. Methods used involve genome and chromatin analyses of cells isolated from transgenic mouse models. Outcomes and benefits are substantial knowledge gain applicable to stem cell regulation and brain health.