MBD-Seq of the V/SVZ and the CP at E16

Cell differentiation and proliferation are mutually exclusive. Although differentiating neurons are recognized as post-mitotic non-dividing cells, some Rb- and Rb family (Rb, p107, and p130)-deficient differentiating neurons proliferate and form tumor. Here, we found that the acute inactivation of all Rb family in differentiating cortical excitatory neurons caused radial migration defect and S-phase progression but not cell division, whereas that in cortical progenitors caused the cell division of the differentiating neurons generated from Rb –/–; p107 –/–; p130 –/– (Rb-TKO) progenitors. Genome-wide DNA methylation analysis revealed that proximal promoters tended to become methylated during differentiation in vivo. DNA demethylation by DNA methyltransferase inhibitor allowed the acutely inactivated Rb-TKO differentiating neurons to undergo G2/M-phase progression. Our finding illustrate that cortical excitatory neurons epigenetically lose their proliferative potency after neurogenesis. Overall design: 1 sample of the V/SVZ tissue and the CP tissue