Multipotent neural progenitor cells (NPCs) may someday be utilized to treat many neurological disorders. NPCs are self-renewing, differentiate into all major neuronal lineages, and may possess the ability to integrate into and replace degenerated regions of the brain. Development of effective NPC-based cell replacement will require a greater understanding of the determinants that influence NPC proliferation and differentiation. Preliminary studies in our laboratory have demonstrated that the transcriptional repressor Hes6 (Hairy/Enhancer of Slipt 6) enhances neuronal differentiation of murine embryonic NPCs.
The specific aims of this proposal will investigate the post-translational regulation of Hes6 expression, and determine how components of the Notch signaling pathway (including Hes1 and Mash1) influence the ability of Hes6 to promote differentiation in NPCs.
| Harper, Scott Q; Staber, Patrick D; Beck, Christine R et al. (2006) Optimization of feline immunodeficiency virus vectors for RNA interference. J Virol 80:9371-80 |
