Latent tri-lineage potential of adult hippocampal neural stem cells revealed by Nf1 inactivation.

Endogenous neural stem cells (NSCs) in the adult hippocampus are considered to be bi-potent, as they only produce neurons and astrocytes in vivo. In mouse, we found that inactivation of neurofibromin 1 (Nf1), a gene mutated in neurofibromatosis type 1, unlocked a latent oligodendrocyte lineage potential to produce all three lineages from NSCs in vivo. Our results suggest an avenue for promoting stem cell plasticity by targeting barriers of latent lineage potential.