BAG-1 is preferentially expressed in neuronal precursor cells of the adult mouse brain and regulates their proliferation in vitro

BAG-1 protein has been well characterized as necessary for proper neuronal development. However, little is known about the function of BAG-1 in the adult brain. In this work, the expression and localization of BAG-1 in the mature mouse brain was studied. The levels of both BAG-1 isoforms decrease significantly in the brain during development. BAG-1 was found preferentially expressed in Neuronal Precursor Cells (NPCs) in the two major niches of neurogenesis. Lentiviral mediated overexpression of BAG-1 increased the proliferation rate of cultured NPCs. In addition, depletion of BAG-1 from NPCs induced a decrease in NPCs proliferation in the presence of a stress hormone, corticosterone. These data suggest a role for BAG-1 in mechanisms of neurogenesis in the adult mouse brain.