Role of blood vessels in the neuronal migration

The proper development and functioning of the vertebrate brain depends on the correct positioning of neuronal precursors which is achieved by the widespread and far-ranging migration of cells from their birthplaces. The vast majority of neuronal precursors use cellular substrates for their migration. Until very recently, it was assumed that these cellular substrates were either glial (glia-mediated or gliophilic migration) or neuronal (neuron-mediated or neurophilic migration) in nature. The widely studied examples of gliophilic and neurophilic migrations in the developing brain are displacement of neuronal precursors along the processes of radial glia in the developing cortex and migration of neurons expressing gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) along the vomeronasal axons, respectively. Recent data indicate, however, that neuronal precursors might also use blood vessels as a physical substrate for their migration. The vasculature-guided (vasophilic) migration of neuronal precursors has been observed not only under normal conditions, in the healthy brain, but also following strokes. The purpose of this review is to highlight emerging principles and delineate putative mechanisms of vasculature-guided neuronal migration under both normal and pathological conditions.