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Nestin promoter/enhancer directs transgene expression to precursors of adult generated periglomerular neurons
Author(s) -
Beech Robert D.,
Cleary Muriel A.,
Treloar Helen B.,
Eisch Amelia J.,
Harrist Alexia V.,
Zhong Weimin,
Greer Charles A.,
Duman Ronald S.,
Picciotto Marina R.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
journal of comparative neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.855
H-Index - 209
eISSN - 1096-9861
pISSN - 0021-9967
DOI - 10.1002/cne.20179
Subject(s) - olfactory bulb , biology , nestin , calretinin , transgene , subventricular zone , rostral migratory stream , neurogenesis , olfactory ensheathing glia , enhancer , microbiology and biotechnology , tyrosine hydroxylase , neural stem cell , neuroscience , gene expression , stem cell , central nervous system , immunology , genetics , gene , immunohistochemistry , dopamine
The subventricular zone (SVZ) is a major neurogenic region in the adult brain. Cells from the SVZ give rise to two populations of olfactory bulb interneurons: the granule cells and periglomerular (PG) cells. Currently, little is known about the signaling pathways that direct these newly generated neurons to become either granule or PG neurons. In the present study, we used the nestin promoter and enhancer to direct expression of the tetracycline transactivator (tTA). We generated two independent strains of nestin‐tTA transgenic animals and crossed founder mice from both lines to mice containing a tetracycline‐regulated transgene (mCREB) whose expression served as a marker for the activity of the nestin‐tTA transgene. mCREB expression occurred in a subset of proliferating cells in the SVZ and rostral migratory stream in both lines. Surprisingly, in both lines of nestin‐tTA mice transgene expression in the olfactory bulb was limited to PG neurons and was absent from granule cells, suggesting that this nestin promoter construct differentiates between the two interneuronal populations. Transgene expression occurred in several subtypes of PG neurons, including those expressing calretinin, calbindin, GAD67, and tyrosine hydroxylase. These results suggest that a unique subset of SVZ precursor cells gives rise to PG, and not granule cells. The ability to express different transgenes within this subpopulation of neuronal precursors provides a powerful system to define the signals regulating the differentiation and survival of adult‐generated neurons in the olfactory bulb. J. Comp. Neurol. 475:128–141, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.