Aging signatures in neuroblasts

The generation of new neurons from neural stem cells, also known as neurogenesis, persists throughout life in the two adult neurogenic niches, the subventricular zone (SVZ) and subgranular zone (SGZ) but sharply decreases with aging. The reservoir of stem cells, as well as the intermediate progenitor population of neuroblasts and newly formed neurons declines with aging. However, not much is known about the aging signature of neuroblasts or how it is involved in the decline of neurogenesis. Here we have studied the aging neuroblast population in the SVZ and identified differentially expressed genes between three different age groups of a mouse model involved in histone modification. In addition, we detected a subpopulation of neuroblasts that decreases with aging and shares a similar gene expression profile to immature neurons in the DG. Another subpopulation, expressing genes related to inflammation and tumorigenesis, was discovered to increase with aging, implicating its involvement in tumour formation and could be a potential new target to disrupt early tumour formation. (Less)