Journal home
Advance online publication
Current issue
Archive
Press releases
Supplements
Focuses
Guide to authors
Online submissionOnline submission
Permissions
For referees
Free online issue
Contact the journal
Subscribe
Advertising
work@npg
naturereprints
About this site
For librarians
 
NPG Resources
Nature
Nature Reviews Neuroscience
Nature Cell Biology
Nature Medicine
Neuroscience Gateway
UCSD-Nature Signaling Gateway
NPG Subject areas
Biotechnology
Cancer
Chemistry
Clinical Medicine
Dentistry
Development
Drug Discovery
Earth Sciences
Evolution & Ecology
Genetics
Immunology
Materials Science
Medical Research
Microbiology
Molecular Cell Biology
Neuroscience
Pharmacology
Physics
Browse all publications
Article
Nature Neuroscience  8, 1179 - 1187 (2005)
Published online: 14 August 2005; | doi:10.1038/nn1522

Nonsynaptic GABA signaling in postnatal subventricular zone controls proliferation of GFAP-expressing progenitors

Xiuxin Liu1, Qin Wang1, Tarik F Haydar2 & Angélique Bordey1

1  Departments of Neurosurgery, and Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8082, USA.

2  Departments of Pediatrics and Pharmacology, George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, D.C. 20010, USA.

Correspondence should be addressed to Angélique Bordey angelique.bordey@yale.edu

In the postnatal subventricular zone (SVZ), local cues or signaling molecules released from neuroblasts limit the proliferation of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-expressing progenitors thought to be stem cells. However, signals between SVZ cells have not been identified. We show that depolarization of neuroblasts induces nonsynaptic SNARE-independent GABAA receptor currents in GFAP-expressing cells, the time course of which depends on GABA uptake in acute mouse slices. We found that GABAA receptors are tonically activated in GFAP-expressing cells, consistent with the presence of spontaneous depolarizations in neuroblasts that are sufficient to induce GABA release. These data demonstrate the existence of nonsynaptic GABAergic signaling between neuroblasts and GFAP-expressing cells. Furthermore, we show that GABAA receptor activation in GFAP-expressing cells limits their progression through the cell cycle. Thus, as GFAP-expressing cells generate neuroblasts, GABA released from neuroblasts provides a feedback mechanism to control the proliferation of GFAP-expressing progenitors by activating GABAA receptors.

MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS

These links to content published by NPG are automatically generated.

NEWS AND VIEWS

GABA puts the brake on stem cells

Nature Neuroscience News and Views (01 Sep 2005)

 Top
Abstract
Previous | Next
Table of contents
Full textFull text
Download PDFDownload PDF
Send to a friendSend to a friend
Save this linkSave this link

Open Innovation Challenges

Figures & Tables
Supplementary info
See also: News and Views by Kriegstein
Export citation
natureproducts

Search buyers guide:

 
Nature Neuroscience
ISSN: 1097-6256
EISSN: 1546-1726
Journal home | Advance online publication | Current issue | Archive | Press releases | Supplements | Focuses | For authors | Online submission | Permissions | For referees | Free online issue | About the journal | Contact the journal | Subscribe | Advertising | work@npg | naturereprints | About this site | For librarians
Nature Publishing Group, publisher of Nature, and other science journals and reference works©2005 Nature Publishing Group | Privacy policy