The mammalian brain consists of a complex ensemble of neurons and glia. Their production during
development
and remodeling is tightly controlled by various regulatory mechanisms in neural stem cells (NSCs). Among
such
regulations, basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) factors have key functions in the self-renewal, multipotency,
and
fate determination of NSCs. We highlighted the importance of the expression dynamics of bHLH factors in
these
processes. The oscillatory expression of multiple bHLH factors is correlated with the multipotent and
self-renewable state, whereas sustained expression of a selected bHLH factor regulates fate
determination.
Data courtesy of Itaru Imayoshi, Fumiyoshi Ishidate & Ryoichiro Kageyama, Biostudies, Infront and
iCeMS, Kyoto University