Glycosignaling in neural stem cells: involvement of glycoconjugates in signal transduction modulating the neural stem cell fate

The mammalian CNS is organized by a variety of cells, such as neurons and glia, which are generated from neural stem cells (NSCs), undifferentiated neural cells characterized by their high proliferative potential while retaining their capacity for self- renewal and multipotency. Various signals from the environment, such as the 'niche,' modulate the fate of NSCs in their ability for self-renewal, proliferation, differentiation, and survival. There is increasing evidence that glycoconjugates, including proteoglycans, glycoproteins, and glycolipids, which are part of the plasma membrane glycocalyx network, are involved in mediation of these signals. In the present review, we discuss the roles of glycoconjugates in regulating the fate of NSCs and in supporting the underlying signal transduction mechanisms.