[Evaluation of the neuronal differentiation in the rat embryogenesis using immunocytochemical detection of...

The studies of CNS neural stem and progenitor cell differentiation both in vitro and in vivo, require the application of highly specific markers of neural and glial cells. The aim of the present investigation was to study the distribution of differentiating neuron marker doublecortin (DCX) expression in different structures of embryonic rat brain and spinal cord before cortical plate formation, using immunocytochemical methods, light and confocal microscopy. The presence of DCX was demonstrated in three types of cells of the developing central nervous system at days 13-14 of embryonic development: neurons which demonstrate positive reaction for nuclear marker of differentiated neural cells NeuN; migrating and maturing neuroblasts; some cells belonging to radial glial cell population. Sufficiently high selectivity of DCX expression allows recommending of its usage in the mammalian CNS early development investigations.