Transcriptomic, epigenetic and chromatin changes of the embryonic and neocortical neural precursor cells in the stage dependent manner. Mus musculus

Neurons and glial cells that consist central nervous system are differentiated from neural precursor cells (NPCs). During the early stage of cortical development, NPCs proliferate symmetrically to increase NPC pool (expansion phase), and then they switch to an asymmetric mode of division to generate neurons and glial cells (neurogenic/gliogenic phase). The timing of the expansion-to-neurogenic or neurogenic-to-gliogenic phase transition is important for the proper brain construction. Here, we are examining the mechanisms of fate transition focusing on the transcriptomic, epingenetic and chromatin changes of embryonic NPCs.

构成中枢神经系统的神经元与神经胶质细胞，均源自神经前体细胞（neural precursor cells, NPCs）。在大脑皮层发育的早期阶段，神经前体细胞通过对称增殖以扩充自身细胞库（即扩增阶段），随后其分裂模式切换为不对称分裂，以产生神经元与神经胶质细胞（即神经发生/胶质发生阶段）。扩增-神经发生转换或神经发生-胶质发生转换的时序，对于大脑的正常构建至关重要。本研究聚焦于这类命运转换的调控机制，重点探究胚胎神经前体细胞的转录组、表观遗传及染色质层面的变化。