Event Details:
Illuminating stem cell trajectories and cellular diversity in the nervous system
John Ngai, PhD
Professor of Neurobiology at UC Berkeley
Host: Aaron Gitler
Abstract
The generation of neuronal diversity in the nervous system requires the specification and differentiation of a multitude of cellular lineages. The specific genetic programs underlying the differentiation of mature neurons from their progenitors remain incompletely characterized, however, in part because of the difficulty in studying neuronal progenitor cells in their native environments. In the vertebrate olfactory system, primary sensory neurons are continuously regenerated throughout adult life via the proliferation and differentiation of multipotent neural stem cells. Upon severe injury, these adult tissue stem cells are activated and go on to reconstitute all of the cellular constituents of this sensory epithelium. The regenerative capacity of the olfactory epithelium therefore represents a powerful and experimentally accessible paradigm for elucidating the mechanisms regulating neural stem cell function. I will present recent studies employing single cell transcriptomics, clonal lineage tracing, and genetic perturbations that together give insights into the genetic programs that both define and regulate olfactory neurogenesis during regeneration. I will also discuss our efforts using CRISPR/Cas9-based genetic engineering to generate genetic tools for studying diverse neuronal subtypes in the mouse brain.
Curriculum Vitae
Related paper
[1] Fletcher*, R.B., D. Das*, L. Gadye, K.N. Street, A. Baudhuin, A. Wagner, M.B. Cole, Q. Flores, Y.G. Choi, N. Yosef, E. Purdom, S. Dudoit, D. Risso, and J. Ngai. 2017. Deconstructing olfactory stem cell trajectories at single cell resolution. Cell Stem Cell 20, 817-830. PMID: 28506465 PMCID: PMC5484588 * equal contribution. DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2017.04.003
[2] Gadye*, L., D. Das*, M.A. Sanchez*, K.N. Street, A. Baudhuin, A. Wagner, M.B. Cole, Y.G. Choi, N. Yosef, E. Purdom, S. Dudoit, D. Risso, J. Ngai and R.B Fletcher. 2017. Injury activates transient olfactory stem cell states with diverse lineage capacities. Cell Stem Cell 21, 775–790. PMID: 29174333 PMCID: PMC5728414 * equal contribution. DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2017.10.014