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Apoptosis in human embryo development: 1. Cerebral cortex.

B. Voiculescu1, Roxana Nat, Elisa Lin

  • 1Department of Anatomy and Embryology, "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 8 Eroilor Sanitari Bucharest, Romania. bvoicul@univermed-cdgm.ro

Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine
|June 18, 2002
PubMed
Summary
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Early human brain development involves programmed cell death (apoptosis). This study reveals distinct patterns of apoptosis and Fas receptor expression in the developing cerebral cortex, suggesting varied cell death pathways guide neuronal selection.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Biology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Apoptosis plays a critical role in shaping developing tissues.
  • Understanding programmed cell death during human corticogenesis is crucial for developmental neuroscience.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the distribution and mechanisms of apoptosis in the early human cerebral cortex.
  • To analyze the role of the Fas receptor (APO-1/CD95) in this process.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of human embryonic brain tissue at Carnegie stages 16 and 17 (6 weeks of gestation).
  • Utilized propidium iodide staining, TUNEL assay, and immunohistochemistry for Fas (APO-1/CD95).
  • Quantified apoptotic cells in the proliferative and postmitotic zones of the telencephalon.

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Main Results:

  • Significant TUNEL-positive apoptotic cells were found in both proliferative (20-60%) and postmitotic (8-30%) zones, increasing with developmental stage.
  • Fas (APO-1/CD95)-positive apoptotic cells were rare, primarily in the proliferative zone (5-2%), and absent in the postmitotic zone.
  • The Fas receptor was detected on a small subset of apoptotic neuroblasts in the proliferative zone.

Conclusions:

  • Apoptosis occurs extensively in the early human cerebral cortex, with distinct distributions in proliferative and postmitotic zones.
  • The limited presence of Fas receptor suggests alternative apoptotic pathways are dominant in early corticogenesis.
  • Differential apoptotic mechanisms likely contribute to the precise selection of neuronal populations during development.