Single-Cell Transcriptomics Reveals a Population of Dormant Neural Stem Cells that Become Activated upon Brain Injury

• Published in: Cell stem cell 2015-09, Vol.17 (3), p.329-340
• Main Authors: Llorens-Bobadilla, Enric, Zhao, Sheng, Baser, Avni, Saiz-Castro, Gonzalo, Zwadlo, Klara, Martin-Villalba, Ana
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Brain Injuries - pathology; Brain Ischemia - pathology; Cell Differentiation; Cell Lineage; Gene Expression Profiling - methods; Interferon-gamma - metabolism; Male; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Neural Stem Cells - metabolism; Neural Stem Cells - pathology; Single-Cell Analysis - methods; Transcription, Genetic
• ISSN: 1934-5909; 1875-9777
• DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2015.07.002

Heterogeneous pools of adult neural stem cells (NSCs) contribute to brain maintenance and regeneration after injury. The balance of NSC activation and quiescence, as well as the induction of lineage-specific transcription factors, may contribute to diversity of neuronal and glial fates. To identify molecular hallmarks governing these characteristics, we performed single-cell sequencing of an unbiased pool of adult subventricular zone NSCs. This analysis identified a discrete, dormant NSC subpopulation that already expresses distinct combinations of lineage-specific transcription factors during homeostasis. Dormant NSCs enter a primed-quiescent state before activation, which is accompanied by downregulation of glycolytic metabolism, Notch, and BMP signaling and a concomitant upregulation of lineage-specific transcription factors and protein synthesis. In response to brain ischemia, interferon gamma signaling induces dormant NSC subpopulations to enter the primed-quiescent state. This study unveils general principles underlying NSC activation and lineage priming and opens potential avenues for regenerative medicine in the brain. [Display omitted] •NSCs in multiple states of activation coexist in the adult SVZ•Dormancy is associated with high glycolytic and lipid metabolism•Activation is associated with high protein synthesis and differentiation priming•IFN-γ activates a state-dependent response to acute ischemic injury in NSCs Llorens-Bobadilla et al. perform single-cell RNA sequencing of acutely isolated neural stem cells (NSCs) from the adult SVZ, identifying lineage-primed NSCs residing along a continuum of co-existing states between dormancy and activation. NSCs in different states possess unique molecular features and exhibit differential responses to acute ischemic brain injury.