REGULATION OF NEURAL PRECURSOR DIFFERENTIATION IN THE EMBRYONIC AND ADULT FOREBRAIN

Abstract

1. Precursors form the neuroepithelium of the developing cortex and also from the adult sub‐ventricular zone, can be cloned in vitro after stimulation with fibroblast growth factor (FGF)‐2 and have the potential to give rise to both neurons and glia. The generation of neurons from these clones can be stimulated by either a factor derived from an astrocyte‐precursor line, Ast‐1, or FGF‐1. 2. Neuronal differentiation stimulated by FGF‐1 can be inhibited by diacylglycerol‐lipase inhibitor and mimicked by arachidonic acid, suggesting that the neuronal differentiation is signalled through the PCLγ pathway. 3. The sequential expression of FGF‐2 and FGF‐1 within the developing forebrain neuroepithe..