How a protein controls the production of nerve cells in the brain

By investigating changes in the metabolic profile of neural stem cells, a research team led by Professor Dr. Matteo Bergami from the CECAD Cluster of Excellence for Aging Research at the University of Cologne discovered that the protein YME1L is essential in coordinating the shift between cellular proliferation (cell division) and quiescence (a resting state). The protein YME1L is responsible for balancing the conversion of the brain's neural stem cells, which are limited in number and cannot be produced again, into neurons. Defects in the functioning of this protein can lead to a premature conversion of neural stem cells into specialized cells, and hence impair neural regeneration in the long term. The article has been published in Cell Reports.