Ablation of Insm1 retains postnatal neural progenitors in a proliferative state

Activation of neural stem cells to self-renew or to differentiate is mediated by extrinsic and intrinsic molecular mechanisms. The intrinsic mechanisms directing stem cell progression and differentiation rely on the coordinated function of multiple transcription factors that determine their identity and, simultaneously, suppress their progenitor cell programs. Here, we show that Insm1 acts as a transcriptional regulator that allows neural stem cells and other committed neuronal progenitors to efficiently progress to neurons.