# PAX6-induced adult neurogenesis

> **NIH NIH R01** · UT SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL CENTER · 2022 · $480,486

## Abstract

Cell fate is controlled by master regulators, as is also the case in the nervous system. Pax6 is a highly conserved
transcription factor consisting of two DNA-binding domains and a transcriptional activation domain. It is broadly
expressed in neural stem/progenitor cells and plays pivotal roles in neuronal specification, migration, and axonal
projections. Through a series of in vivo screens, we discovered that PAX6 is also capable of inducing new
neurons from genetically traced glial cells in the adult mouse spinal cord. Based on such exciting data, we
hypothesize that PAX6-induced adult neurogenesis from resident glial cells may represent an alternative strategy
for neural regeneration. The major goal of this project is to characterize the PAX6-induced adult neurogenesis
process and determine its functional role following traumatic neural injuries. We propose three specific aims to
accomplish this goal. First, we will employ genetic lineage tracing and genome-wide deep sequencing to
understand how PAX6 induces new neurons from resident glial cells in the adult mouse spinal cord. Secondly,
we will employ recombinant virus-mediated transsynaptic tracing to delineate the network connections of PAX6-
induced new neurons. And thirdly, we will use chemogenetics to tease out the functional role of PAX6-induced
new neurons on behavior in adult mice with traumatic injury.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10537755
- **Project number:** 1R01NS127375-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** UT SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Chun-Li Zhang
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $480,486
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-07-01 → 2027-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10537755

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10537755, PAX6-induced adult neurogenesis (1R01NS127375-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10537755. Licensed CC0.

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