Transient neurogenesis in ischemic cortex from Sox2+ astrocytes.

Abstract

The adult cortex has long been regarded as non-neurogenic. Whether injury can induce neurogenesis in the adult cortex is still controversial. Here, we report that focal ischemia stimulates a transient wave of local neurogenesis. Using 5'-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine labeling, we demonstrated a rapid generation of doublecortin-positive neuroblasts that died quickly in mouse cerebral cortex following ischemia. Nestin-CreER-based cell ablation and fate mapping showed a small contribution of neuroblasts by subventricular zone neural stem cells. Using a mini-photothrombotic ischemia mouse model and retrovirus expressing green fluorescent protein labeling, we observed maturation of locally generated new neurons. Furthermore, fate tracing analyses using PDGFRα-, GFAP-, and Sox2-CreER mice showed a transient wave of neuroblast generation in mild ischemic cortex and identified that Sox2-positive astrocytes were the major neurogenic cells in adult cortex. In addition, a similar upregulation of Sox2 and appearance of neuroblasts were observed in the focal ischemic cortex of Macaca mulatta. Our findings demonstrated a transient neurogenic response of Sox2-positive astrocytes in ischemic cortex, which suggests the possibility of inducing neuronal regeneration by amplifying this intrinsic response in the future.

• Authors: Jia-Lei Yang, Hong Fan, Fan-Fan Fu, Bao-Lin Guo, Ying Huang, Li Sun, Wen-Ting Wang, Jun-Ling Xing, Xin-Tian Hu, Yu-Qiang Ding, Kun Zhang, Ying-Zhou Hu, Ya-Zhou Wang
• Journal: Neural regeneration research (Neural Regen Res) Vol. 18 Issue 7 Pg. 1521-1526 (Jul 2023) ISSN: 1673-5374 [Print] India
• PMID: 36571357 (Publication Type: Journal Article)