Cell cycle and lineage progression of neural progenitors in the ventricular-subventricular zones of adult mice

Proliferating neural stem cells and intermediate progenitors persist in the ventricular-subventricular zone (V-SVZ) of the adult mammalian brain. This extensive germinal layer in the walls of the lateral ventricles is the site of birth of different types of interneurons destined for the olfactory bulb. The cell cycle dynamics of stem cells (B1 cells), intermediate progenitors (C cells), and neuroblasts (A cells) in the V-SVZ and the number of times these cells divide remain unknown. Using whole mounts of the walls of the lateral ventricles of adult mice and three cell cycle analysis methods using thymidine analogs, we determined the proliferation dynamics of B1, C, and A cells in vivo. Achaete-scute complex homolog (Ascl)1+ C cells were heterogeneous with a cell cycle length (TC) of 18–25 h and a long S phase length (TS) of 14–17 h. After C cells, Doublecortin+ A cells were the second-most common dividing cell type in the V-SVZ and had a TC of 18 h and TS of 9 h. Human glial fibrillary acidic protein (hGFAP)::GFP+ B1 cells had a surprisingly short Tc of 17–18 h and a TS of 4 h. Progenitor population analysis suggests that following the initial division of B1 cells, C cells divide three times and A cells once, possibly twice. These data provide essential information on the dynamics of adult progenitor cell proliferation in the V-SVZ and how large numbers of new neurons continue to be produced in the adult mammalian brain.