Intrinsic Mechanisms Regulating Neuronal Migration in the Postnatal Brain

Abstract

Neuronal migration is a fundamental brain development process that allows cells to move from their birthplaces to their sites of integration. Although neuronal migration largely ceases during embryonic and early postnatal development, neuroblasts continue to be produced and to migrate to a few regions of the adult brain such as the dentate gyrus and the subventricular zone (SVZ). In the SVZ, a large number of neuroblasts migrate into the olfactory bulb (OB) along the rostral migratory stream (RMS). Neuroblasts migrate in chains in a tightly organized micro-environment composed of astrocytes that ensheath the chains of neuroblasts and regulate their migration; the blood vessels that are used by neuroblasts as a physical scaffold and a source of molecular factors; and axons that modulate neuronal migration. In addition to diverse sets of extrinsic micro-environmental cues, long-distance neuronal migration involves a number of intrinsic mechanisms, including membrane and cytoskeleton remodeling, Ca2+ signaling, mitochondria dynamics, energy consumption, and autophagy. All these mechanisms are required to cope with the different micro-environment signals and maintain cellular homeostasis in order to sustain the proper dynamics of migrating neuroblasts and their faithful arrival in the target regions. Neuroblasts in the postnatal brain not only migrate into the OB but may also deviate from their normal path to migrate to a site of injury induced by a stroke or by certain neurodegenerative disorders. In this review, we will focus on the intrinsic mechanisms that regulate long-distance neuroblast migration in the adult brain and on how these pathways may be modulated to control the recruitment of neuroblasts to damaged/diseased brain areas.

Ganglioside GD3 regulates neural stem cell quiescence and controls postnatal neurogenesis

“…SVZ-derived NPCs take about two weeks to reach the OB through the RMS and become matured (Alonso et al, 2006; Hack et al, 2005; Zhao et al, 2008). DCX-expressing NPCs migrate through the RMS towards the OB (Akter et al, 2021; Bressan & Saghatelyan, 2020; Capilla-Gonzalez et al, 2015; Doetsch & Alvarez-Buylla, 1996; Kaneko et al, 2017). The shrunk pool of NSCs points to a decrease of DCX+ neuronal precursors in the RMS and newborn neurons in the OB.…”

Migratory Response of Cells in Neurogenic Niches to Neuronal Death: The Onset of Harmonic Repair?

“…The regulation of migration is essential in the adult brain for maintaining and completing the neuronal circuitry. In this sense, the milieu of chemical molecules, physical scaffolding, and cellular interaction that governs the fine control of neuroblast migration has been extensively studied over the years, focusing especially on the physiological migration through the RMS and pathophysiological migration toward infarcted areas of the brain (reviewed in Young et al, 2021) [ 50 , 51 , 52 ]. Neuroblasts originated in the SVZ exhibit saltatory movements during their migration, which are closely related to their bipolar morphology [ 53 , 54 , 55 ].…”

Assessing the Feasibility of Developing in vivo Neuroprobes for Parallel Intracellular Recording and Stimulation: A Perspective

“…These niches serve as endogenous sources of neural precursor cells that can migrate and thus may potentially replace damaged or lost neurons at the site of injury. Attempts to develop neuro-engineering approaches to facilitate the migration of neuro-precursor cells toward “remote” sites of injury are underway ( Bressan and Saghatelyan, 2020 ; Purvis et al, 2020 ). It is conceivable for the time being that implantation of 3D vertical nanopillar-based probes close to or at the sources of endogenous precursor neurons will reveal accelerated probability for a direct neuron/electrode interfaces.…”