Functional implications of hypothalamic neurogenesis in the adult mammalian brain
- Creators
- Lee, Daniel A.
- Blackshaw, Seth
Abstract
Adult neurogenesis represents a striking example of structural plasticity in the mature brain. Research on adult mammalian neurogenesis today focuses almost exclusively on two areas: the subgranular zone (SGZ) in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus, and the subventricular zone (SVZ) of the lateral ventricles. Numerous studies, however, have also reported adult neurogenesis in the hypothalamus, a brain structure that serves as a central homeostatic regulator of numerous physiological and behavioral functions, such as feeding, metabolism, body temperature, thirst, fatigue, aggression, sleep, circadian rhythms, and sexual behavior. Recent studies on hypothalamic neurogenesis have identified a progenitor population within a dedicated hypothalamic neurogenic zone. Furthermore, adult born hypothalamic neurons appear to play a role in the regulation of metabolism, weight, and energy balance. It remains to be seen what other functional roles adult hypothalamic neurogenesis may play. This review summarizes studies on the identification and characterization of neural stem/progenitor cells in the mammalian hypothalamus, in what contexts these stem/progenitor cells engage in neurogenesis, and potential functions of postnatally generated hypothalamic neurons.
Additional Information
© 2012 ISDN. Published by Elsevier Ltd. Received 23 April 2012; Received in revised form 12 July 2012; Accepted 14 July 2012. We thank J. Bedont, E. Newman, and T. Pak for helpful comments on the manuscript and figures. This work was supported by a Basil O'Connor Starter Scholar Award and grants from the Klingenstein Fund and NARSAD (to S.B.). S.B. is a W.M. Keck Distinguished Young Scholar in Medical Research.Attached Files
Accepted Version - nihms547709.pdf
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Additional details
- PMCID
- PMC3906127
- Eprint ID
- 37045
- Resolver ID
- CaltechAUTHORS:20130221-095820905
- Basil O'Connor Starter Scholar Award
- Klingenstein Fund
- NARSAD
- W. M. Keck Foundation
- Created
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2013-02-22Created from EPrint's datestamp field
- Updated
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2021-11-09Created from EPrint's last_modified field