Frontiers in Neuroscience (Jan 2016)

Doublecortin (DCX) is not essential for survival and differentiation of newborn neurons in the adult mouse dentate gyrus

  • Jagroop eDhaliwal,
  • Yanwei eXi,
  • Elodie eBruel-Jungerman,
  • Elodie eBruel-Jungerman,
  • Elodie eBruel-Jungerman,
  • Elodie eBruel-Jungerman,
  • Johanne eGermain,
  • Johanne eGermain,
  • Johanne eGermain,
  • Fiona eFrancis,
  • Fiona eFrancis,
  • Fiona eFrancis,
  • Fiona eFrancis,
  • Diane eLagace

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2015.00494
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9

Abstract

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In the adult brain, expression of the microtubule-associated protein Doublecortin (DCX) is associated with neural progenitor cells (NPCs) that give rise to new neurons in the dentate gyrus. Many studies quantify the number of DCX-expressing cells as a proxy for the level of adult neurogenesis, yet no study has determined the effect of removing DCX from adult hippocampal NPCs. Here, we use a retroviral and inducible mouse transgenic approach to either knockdown or knockout DCX from adult NPCs in the dentate gyrus and examine how this affects cell survival and neuronal maturation. Our results demonstrate that shRNA-mediated knockdown of DCX or Cre-mediated recombination in floxed DCX mice does not alter hippocampal neurogenesis and does not change the neuronal fate of the NPCs. Together these findings show that the survival and maturation of adult-generated hippocampal neurons does not require DCX.

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