Neurogenen

Neurogenen is a term used in neuroscience to describe genes that regulate neurogenesis, the process by which neurons are produced from neural progenitor or stem cells. This class encompasses a network of DNA-level regulators, including proneural transcription factors such as Neurog1, Neurog2, and NeuroD1, as well as other cell fate determinants like Ascl1, Pax6, and various Notch and Wnt signaling components. Together these genes control neural progenitor proliferation, neuronal differentiation, migration, maturation, and ultimately integration into neural circuits.

During embryonic development, neurogenic genes coordinate the transition from radial glial progenitors to postmitotic neurons. Notch signaling tends to preserve the progenitor pool, whereas proneural factors promote differentiation. Wnt, SHH, and FGF pathways provide spatial and temporal cues that shape the size and diversity of neuronal populations.

In the adult brain, neurogenesis persists in restricted niches, notably the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus and the subventricular zone lining the lateral ventricles. Neurogenen regulate the rate of progenitor proliferation, neuronal subtype specification, and integration of new neurons, and are subject to epigenetic and environmental influences such as learning, stress, and injury.

Disruptions or dysregulation of neurogenic genes have been implicated in neurodevelopmental disorders, cognitive deficits, and neurodegenerative diseases. Research in this area seeks to understand how altering neurogenen activity might support brain repair after injury or disease.

Investigative methods include genetic knockout or knockdown in animals, fate-mapping lineage tracing, in situ hybridization, single-cell RNA sequencing, and neural tissue organoid models, all aimed at mapping the regulatory networks that govern neurogenesis.