Nature Neuroscience - Hypothalamic Tanycytes serve as neural progenitor

Daniel A Lee, Joseph L Bedont, Thomas Pak, Hong Wang, Juan Song, Ana Miranda-Angulo, Vani Takiar, Vanessa Charubhumi, Francesca Balordi, Hirohide Takebayashi, Susan Aja, Eric Ford, Gordon Fishell & Seth Blackshaw

Published 25 March 2012

Adult hypothalamic neurogenesis has recently been reported, but the cell of origin and the function of these newborn neurons are unknown. Using genetic fate mapping, we found that median eminence tanycytes generate newborn neurons. Blocking this neurogenesis altered the weight and metabolic activity of adult mice. These findings reveal a previously unreported neurogenic niche in the mammalian hypothalamus with important implications for metabolism.