Subependymal zone

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The subependymal zone (SEZ) is a cell layer below the ependyma in the lateral ventricles of the brain. It is an adult version of the embryonic forebrain germinal zone. This region contains adult neural stem cells, also called neuroepithelial cells, which have the potential to generate new neurons and glial cells. [1] The generation of neurons and glial cells from neuroepithelial cells occurs via neurogenesis and gliogenesis, respectively. In adults, the subependymal zone is also called the subventricular zone, as the ependymal cell layer forms the boundary between the fluid-filled ventricular space and the walls of the lateral ventricles. [2]

Ilias Kazanis at the University of Cambridge compares the subependymal zone to a beating heart which "continuously sends new cells to different areas of the brain: neurons to the olfactory bulbs and glial cells to the cortex and the corpus callosum." [3]

The subependymal zone is a region that may be affected by subependymal giant cell astrocytomas in people with tuberous sclerosis. [4]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oligodendrocyte</span> Neural cell type

Oligodendrocytes, also known as oligodendroglia, are a type of neuroglia whose main functions are to provide support and insulation to axons within the central nervous system (CNS) of jawed vertebrates. Their function is similar to that of Schwann cells, which perform the same task in the peripheral nervous system (PNS). Oligodendrocytes accomplish this by forming the myelin sheath around axons. Unlike Schwann cells, a single oligodendrocyte can extend its processes to cover around 50 axons, with each axon being wrapped in approximately 1 μm of myelin sheath. Furthermore, an oligodendrocyte can provide myelin segments for multiple adjacent axons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adult neurogenesis</span> Generating of neurons from neural stem cells in adults

Adult neurogenesis is the process in which neurons are generated from neural stem cells in the adult. This process differs from prenatal neurogenesis.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ventricular zone</span> Transient embryonic layer of tissue containing neural stem cells

In vertebrates, the ventricular zone (VZ) is a transient embryonic layer of tissue containing neural stem cells, principally radial glial cells, of the central nervous system (CNS). The VZ is so named because it lines the ventricular system, which contains cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The embryonic ventricular system contains growth factors and other nutrients needed for the proper function of neural stem cells. Neurogenesis, or the generation of neurons, occurs in the VZ during embryonic and fetal development as a function of the Notch pathway, and the newborn neurons must migrate substantial distances to their final destination in the developing brain or spinal cord where they will establish neural circuits. A secondary proliferative zone, the subventricular zone (SVZ), lies adjacent to the VZ. In the embryonic cerebral cortex, the SVZ contains intermediate neuronal progenitors that continue to divide into post-mitotic neurons. Through the process of neurogenesis, the parent neural stem cell pool is depleted and the VZ disappears. The balance between the rates of stem cell proliferation and neurogenesis changes during development, and species from mouse to human show large differences in the number of cell cycles, cell cycle length, and other parameters, which is thought to give rise to the large diversity in brain size and structure.

Neurogenesis is the process by which nervous system cells, the neurons, are produced by neural stem cells (NSCs). This occurs in all species of animals except the porifera (sponges) and placozoans. Types of NSCs include neuroepithelial cells (NECs), radial glial cells (RGCs), basal progenitors (BPs), intermediate neuronal precursors (INPs), subventricular zone astrocytes, and subgranular zone radial astrocytes, among others.

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In biology, fractones are structures consisting primarily of laminin and heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG) first discovered in the extracellular matrix niche of the subventricular zone of the lateral ventricle (SVZa) in the mouse brain. Recent research has suggested its importance in adult neurogenesis, gliogenesis, and angiogenesis.

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Intermediate progenitor cells (IPCs) are a type of progenitor cell in the developing cerebral cortex. They are multipolar cells produced by radial glial cells who have undergone asymmetric division. IPCs can produce neuron cells via neurogenesis and are responsible for ensuring the proper quantity of cortical neurons are produced. In mammals, neural stem cells are the primary progenitors during embryogenesis whereas intermediate progenitor cells are the secondary progenitors.

References

  1. Kase, Yoshitaka; Shimazaki, Takuya; Okano, Hideyuki (2020-06-18). "Current understanding of adult neurogenesis in the mammalian brain: how does adult neurogenesis decrease with age?". Inflammation and Regeneration. 40: 10. doi: 10.1186/s41232-020-00122-x . ISSN   1880-9693. PMC   7302355 . PMID   32566044.
  2. Falcão, Ana Mendanha; Marques, Fernanda; Novais, Ashley; Sousa, Nuno; Palha, Joana A.; Sousa, João Carlos (2012-08-09). "The path from the choroid plexus to the subventricular zone: go with the flow!". Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience. 6: 34. doi: 10.3389/fncel.2012.00034 . ISSN   1662-5102. PMC   3414909 . PMID   22907990.
  3. Kazanis, Ilias (2009). "The subependymal zone neurogenic niche: a beating heart in the centre of the brain". Brain. 132 (11): 2909–2921. doi:10.1093/brain/awp237. PMC   2768664 . PMID   19773354.
  4. Page 424 in: Neil Vasan; Le, Tao; Bhushan, Vikas (2010). First Aid for the USMLE Step 1, 2010 (First Aid USMLE) . McGraw-Hill Medical. ISBN   978-0-07-163340-6.