Abstract
The central nervous system, consisting of the brain and the spinal cord, is generated from progenitor cells that are generally recognized as neural stem cells (NSCs). NSCs are undifferentiated neural cells characterized by their high proliferative potential and capacity for self-renewal with retention of multipotency to differentiate into neurons and glia. Throughout neural development and cell differentiation, dynamic changes are observed in the composition of carbohydrate-rich molecules, including glycolipids, glycoproteins, and proteoglycans, that are expressed primarily on the outer surface of plasma membranes. The structural diversity of their carbohydrate moieties coupled with their unique spatial and temporal expression make these molecules excellent biomarkers for various cell types at different stages of development. In addition, these molecules play crucial functional roles in cell proliferation, differentiation, interaction, migration, and signal transduction. In this chapter, we discuss the expression profiles and potential functional roles of glycolipids in NSCs and differentiation.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Neural Surface Antigens |
| Subtitle of host publication | From Basic Biology Towards Biomedical Applications |
| Publisher | Elsevier Inc. |
| Pages | 91-102 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9780128011263 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9780128007815 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Apr 15 2015 |
Keywords
- Cell surface microdomain
- Epigenetics
- Ganglioside
- Gliogenesis
- Glycoconjugate
- Glycolipid
- Glycosphingolipid
- Neural stem cell
- Neurogenesis
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Agricultural and Biological Sciences
- General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology