Specialized microenvironment, or neurogenic niche, in embryonic and postnatal mouse brain plays critical roles during neurogenesis throughout adulthood. The subventricular zone (SVZ) and the dentate gyrus (DG) of hippocampus in the mouse brain are two major neurogenic niches where neurogenesis is directed by numerous regulatory factors. Now, we report Akhirin (AKH), a stem cell maintenance factor in mouse spinal cord, plays a pivotal regulatory role in the SVZ and in the DG. AKH showed specific distribution during development in embryonic and postnatal neurogenic niches. Loss of AKH led to abnormal development of the ventricular zone and the DG along with reduction of cellular proliferation in both regions. In AKH knockout mice (AKH-/- ), quiescent neural stem cells (NSCs) increased, while proliferative NSCs or neural progenitor cells decreased at both neurogenic niches. In vitro NSC culture assay showed increased number of neurospheres and reduced neurogenesis in AKH-/- . These results indicate that AKH, at the neurogenic niche, exerts dynamic regulatory role on NSC self-renewal, proliferation and differentiation during SVZ and hippocampal neurogenesis.

中文翻译：

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Akhirin调节小鼠脑神经源性壁ches中神经干细胞/祖细胞的增殖和分化。

胚胎和出生后小鼠大脑中的专门微环境或神经源性利基在整个成年期的神经发生过程中起着至关重要的作用。小鼠脑中海马的脑室下区（SVZ）和齿状回（DG）是两个主要的神经源壁ni，其中神经发生是由许多调节因子控制的。现在，我们报告Akhirin（AKH），小鼠脊髓中的干细胞维持因子，在SVZ和DG中起着关键的调节作用。AKH在胚胎和出生后神经源性壁development发育期间显示出特定的分布。AKH的丧失导致心室区和DG异常发育，同时导致两个区域的细胞增殖减少。在AKH基因敲除小鼠（AKH-/-）中，静止的神经干细胞（NSC）增加，而增生的神经干细胞或神经祖细胞在两个神经源壁ni处均降低。体外NSC培养测定显示AKH-/-中神经球数量增加和神经发生减少。这些结果表明，在神经源性利基市场上，AKH在SVZ和海马神经发生过程中对NSC的自我更新，增殖和分化发挥动态调节作用。