Notch Signaling Controls Generation of Motor Neurons in the Lesioned Spinal Cord of Adult Zebrafish

In mammals, increased Notch signaling is held partly responsible for a lack of neurogenesis after a spinal injury. However, this is difficult to test in an essentially nonregenerating system. We show that in adult zebrafish, which exhibit lesion-induced neurogenesis, e.g., of motor neurons, the Notch pathway is also reactivated. Although apparently compatible with neuronal regeneration in zebrafish, forced activity of the pathway significantly decreased progenitor proliferation and motor neuron generation. Conversely, pharmacological inhibition of the pathway increased proliferation and motor neuron numbers. This demonstrates that Notch is a negative signal for regenerative neurogenesis, and, importantly, that spinal motor neuron regeneration can be augmented in an adult vertebrate by inhibiting Notch signaling.