A mechanism for the segregation of age in mammalian neural stem cells

Across life neural stem cells (NSCs) generate new neurons in the mammalian brain through asymmetric neurogenic and self-renewing cell divisions. However, the cellular mechanisms underlying NSC asymmetry remain unknown. Using fluorescence loss in photobleaching (FLIP) we here show that NSCs in vitro and within the developing forebrain generate a lateral diffusion barrier during cell division resulting in asymmetric segregation of cellular components. The strength of the diffusion barrier is dynamically regulated with age and depends on the proper function of lamin-associated nuclear envelope constituents. Strikingly, age-associated or experimental impairment of the diffusion barrier disrupts asymmetric segregation of damaged proteins, a product of aging. Thus, the data presented here identify a mechanism how age is asymmetrically distributed during somatic stem cell division.

6

Moore D. L., Pilz G. A., Araúzo-Bravo M. J., Barral Y., Jessberger S.