# PRDM16 Function in Neural Development

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA · 2020 · $422,567

## Abstract

Epigenetic regulation via covalent histone modifications plays an important role in dictating developmental
processes and cell fate determination. It complements to genetic information and provides additional regulatory
mechanisms in response to fast changing cellular and organismal environment during development. Recent
studies show that mutations in histone modifying enzymes often skew the normal development ‘roadmap’ and
consequently lead to human diseases. PRDM16 plays an important role in maintaining homeostasis of multiple adult stem cells including neural stem cells. Importantly, Prdm16 deletion in mice leads to multiple brain defects including microcephaly, disrupted cerebral cortex and agenesis of the corpus callosum. However, it remains unclear how PRDM16 regulate functions of neural progenitor cells and how its deletion leads to disruption of normal neurogenesis. We have
recently found that PRDM16 is a histone methyltransferase that methylate histone H3. This finding links
PRDM16 deletion to deregulation of epigenetic modifications in neural stem cells, which play essential roles in
define transcription circuitries in stem cells that define cellular identity.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10230897
- **Project number:** 7R01NS100156-05
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
- **Principal Investigator:** Yali Dou
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $422,567
- **Award type:** 7
- **Project period:** 2020-09-01 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10230897

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10230897, PRDM16 Function in Neural Development (7R01NS100156-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10230897. Licensed CC0.

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