Journal of neuroscience research
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Differentiation and self-renewal are two primary properties that characterize stem cells. Differentiation of neural stem/precursor cells (NSPCs) gives rise to multiple neural lineages, including neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes. ⋯ The epigenetic modification of developmental genes, including alterations in DNA methylation, histone modifications, polycomb gene group and noncoding RNA expression, which are passed on through successive cell divisions, has proved to be one of the major mechanisms determining the fate of neural stem cells. Here, we review the diverse epigenetic pathways that decide whether NSPCs undergo proliferation or differentiation into different neuronal cell lineages.