Differential properties of adult rat and mouse brain-derived neural stem/progenitor cells

Adult neurogenesis from neural stem/progenitor cells occurs in discrete regions of the central nervous system of all mammals, but the mechanisms regulating endogenous neurogenesis are poorly understood. Advances in understanding the neurogenesis depend on knowing their intrinsic properties and responses to environmental signals that control their behavior. Before these issues can be addressed, it is necessary to know whether there are significant species-specific differences in the properties of the stem/progenitor cells derived from CNS of two commonly studied model systems, mouse and rat. We found major differences between rat and mouse stem/progenitor cell proliferation in response to various substrates, mitogenic growth factors and heparin and to the influence of differentiation factors on generation of neurons and glia. Thus, extrapolation of cell properties from one species to another based on studies of these cells should be made with caution.