Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis
Adult hippocampal neurogenesis & neural developmental disorders
Autism, schizophrenia, and major depression are psychiatric disorders with a neural developmental origin and prominent genetic risks. We are interested in deciphering functions and mechanisms of risk genes for these mental disorders, such as DISC1, Neurexin, and CYFIP1, in neuronal development. Using adult mouse hippocampal neurogenesis as an in vivo cellular model system combined with mouse genetics, we aim to study both basic principles in neural development and biological roles of risk genes for major mental disorders. Our long-term goal is to develop novel strategies for disease prevention and treatment.
Selected Publications
Sun, G.J., Zhou, Y., Stadel, R.P., Moss, J., Yong, J.H., Ito, S., Kawasaki, N.K., Phan, A.T., Oh, J.H., Modak, N., Reed, R.R., Toni, N, Song H, and Ming G-l. (2014). Tangential migration of neuronal precursors of glutamatergic neurons in the adult mammalian brain. PNAS 112, 9484-9. [PMC4522763]
Kim JY, Liu CY, Zhang F, Duan X, Wen Z, Song J, Feighery E, Lu B, Rujescu D, St Clair D, Christian K, Callicott JH, Weinberger DR, Song H, Ming GL. Interplay between DISC1 and GABA signaling regulates neurogenesis in mice and risk for schizophrenia. Cell. 2012 Mar 2;148(5):1051-64. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2011.12.037. PubMed PMID: 22385968; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3294278.
Kang E, Burdick KE, Kim JY, Duan X, Guo JU, Sailor KA, Jung DE, Ganesan S, Choi S, Pradhan D, Lu B, Avramopoulos D, Christian K, Malhotra AK, Song H, Ming GL. Interaction between FEZ1 and DISC1 in regulation of neuronal development and risk for schizophrenia. Neuron. 2011; 72(4):559-71. NIHMSID: NIHMS331011 PubMed [journal] PMID: 22099459, PMCID: PMC3222865
Ming GL, Song H. DISC1 partners with GSK3beta in neurogenesis. Cell. 2009; 136(6):990-2. PubMed [journal] PMID: 19303839