Adult neurogenesis is emerging as a crucial process that preserves brain plasticity postnatally and has been observed in response to many environmental cues. However, the precise role that specific regional pools of neural stem cells (NSCs) have in response to different stimuli remains poorly understood. Reporting in Science, Chaker et al. use different experimental approaches to identify and characterize a group of NSCs that expand during pregnancy in mice to generate olfactory bulb interneurons. Time-resolved longitudinal profiling showed that the dynamic specification of these pregnancy-associated olfactory bulb interneurons is transient and localized in the ventricular–subventricular zone. Moreover, comparative spatial transcriptomic analysis on mothers and virgin animals showed the localized enrichment of this cell population and provided molecular insights into the responsible gene-regulatory networks. Interestingly, genes involved in neuronal maturation, synaptic development and behavior were enriched in pregnant mothers. Physiological and behavioral experiments demonstrated how these waves of transient neurogenesis during pregnancy are necessary for the detection of pup odors, including own-pup recognition. In conclusion, this work shows how the maternal brain prepares for future physiological needs, highlighting the importance of brain plasticity during adulthood.
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- Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-023-01630-5