bHLH因子对大脑神经前体细胞的增殖分化与命运决定的调节

摘要

神经前体细胞(neural progenitor cells,NPCs)是具有自我更新能力和多向分化潜能的细胞,它的增殖和分化受到多种内源或者外源因子,以及邻近或远程细胞信号通路的调控.多项研究表明,碱性螺旋——环——螺旋(basic helix-loop-helix,bHLH)家族转录因子之间相互联系,相互竞争,广泛参与调控端脑的发育过程,在NPCs向神经元和神经胶质细胞分化过程中起着重要的调控作用.而bHLH家族分子的不同的表达状态,即持续表达或波动表达,又与NPCs增殖或者分化的最终结局有着重要的关系.本文主要对在端脑发育中有重要代表性作用的bHLH转录因子,以及它们之间的表达调控关系的研究进展进行综述.%Neural progenitor cells (NPCs) undergo self-renewal or differentiate into certain neural types in defined circumstances.These processes are tightly regulated by various intrinsic or extrinsic factors and by neighbor or remote cellular signals.Among these factors,basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) factors coexpress or compete with each other,and play a dominating role in the development of NPCs.Their different expression pattern,sustained or oscillated expression,modulates the fate choice of NPCs.Here we highlight several important bHLH factors during the development of NPCs,as well as the mechanisms of their hierarchical expression pattern in the fate determination of NPCs.