Postnatal dendritic morphogenesis of cerebellar basket and stellate cells in vitro

Inhibitory interneurons in the molecular layer of the cerebellar cortex play an essential role in cerebellar physiology by providing feed-forward inhibition to efferent Purkinje cells. Morphologic characteristics have been utilized to classify these cells as either basket cells or stellate cells. Conflicting evidence exists as to whether these cells are of distinct lineage and develop by employing discrete genetic programs, or whether their characteristic morphologic differences result from external cues that they encounter only after they have settled in their final territory in the molecular layer. We used primary dissociated cerebellar cultures established from early postnatal mice to study dendritogenesis of basket/stellate cells, identified by immunostaining for parvalbumin, under experimentally controlled conditions. We find that the radial axonal orientation of stem dendrites is non-random, suggesting a cell-intrinsic component defining this morphologic trait. In contrast, the expanse and complexity of basket/stellate cell dendrites is modulated by the granule cell derived neurotrophin, BDNF. BDNF-induced morphogenetic effects decline with ongoing development. Overall, our data do not provide evidence for a distinct lineage or genetic makeup of cerebellar molecular layer inhibitory interneurons.