MULTIPOTENT PROGENITOR CELLS IN THE ADULT DENTATE GYRUS

Neurogenesis persists in the adult dentate gyrus of rodents throughout the life of the organism. The factors regulating proliferation, survi val, migration, and differentiation of neuronal progenitors are now be ing elucidated. Cells from the adult hippocampus can be propagated, cl oned in vitro, and induced to differentiate into neurons and glial cel ls. Cells cultured from the adult rodent hippocampus can be geneticall y marked and transplanted back to the adult brain, where they survive and differentiate into mature neurons and glial cells. Although multip otent stem cells exist in the adult rodent dentate gyrus, their biolog ical significance remains elusive. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.