Adult neural stem cells and regeneration

In the adult zebrafish brain, neural stem cells produce new neurons throughout life and can rebuild tissue after injury. We study how these cells choose between quiescence and re-entering the cell cycle, focusing on the cis-regulatory logic, the enhancers and transcriptional programs that keep them dormant or wake them up, in the adult telencephalon during homeostasis and regeneration.

Neuronal diversity in the developing spinal cord

A small pool of progenitors gives rise to a remarkable variety of spinal neurons. We investigate how this diversity emerges, with a focus on V2 interneurons (V2a, V2b and related subtypes) and intraspinal serotonergic (tph2+) neurons, and map the gene regulatory networks that specify each identity.

Zebrafish as a screening platform

Transparent, genetically accessible and ideal for live imaging, zebrafish also allow us to test in vivo how drugs and pathway agonists or antagonists influence neurogenesis.

Together, these projects aim to uncover general principles of how neurons are generated, specified and replaced, with the long-term goal of informing strategies for brain and spinal cord repair.

Selected Publication

1. Hoareau M, Diotel N, Rastegar S. Molecular control of neural stem cell quiescence in the adult zebrafish telencephalon: established mechanisms and an integrative hypothesis. GLIA 2026; 74(12): e70234. doi:10.1002/glia.70234
2. Chen J, Takamiya M, Hendriks A, Beil T, Várnai C, Diotel N, Rastegar S. Multiple cis-regulatory elements collaborate to control mdka expression in telencephalic neural stem cells of adult zebrafish during constitutive and regenerative neurogenesis. The FEBS Journal 2026; 293(7): 1951–1969. doi:10.1111/febs.70345
3. Seliwjorstow A, Takamiya M, Rastegar S, Pianowski Z. Reversible influence of hemipiperazine photochromism on the early development of zebrafish embryo. ChemBioChem 2024; 25(8): e202400143. doi:10.1002/cbic.202400143
4. Chen F, Köhler M, Cucun G, Takamiya M, Kizil C, Cosacak MI, Rastegar S. sox1a:eGFP transgenic line and single-cell transcriptomics reveal the origin of zebrafish intraspinal serotonergic neurons. iScience 2023; 26(8): 107342. doi:10.1016/j.isci.2023.107342
5. Baranasic D, Hörtenhuber M, Balwierz PJ, et al. (DANIO-CODE consortium), Rastegar S, et al. Multiomic atlas with functional stratification and developmental dynamics of zebrafish cis-regulatory elements. Nature Genetics2022; 54: 1037–1050. doi:10.1038/s41588-022-01089-w