Glial patterning during postembryonic development of central neuropiles in the brain of the honeybee

Glial cells are involved in several functions during the development of the nervous system. To understand potential glial contributions to neuropile formation, we examined the cellular pattern of glia during the development of the mushroom body, antennal lobe and central complex in the brain of the honeybee. Using an antibody against the glial-specific repo-protein of Drosophila, the location of the glial somata was detected in the larval and pupal brain of the bee. In the early larva, a continuous layer of glial cell bodies defines the boundaries of all growing neuropiles. Initially, the neuropiles develop in the absence of any intrinsic glial somata. In a secondary process, glial cells migrate into defined locations in the neuropiles. The corresponding increase in the number of neuropile-associated glial cells is most likely due to massive immigrations of glial cells from the cell body rind using neuronal fibres as guidance cues. The combined data from the three brain regions suggest that glial cells can prepattern the neuropilar boundaries.