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Cajal-Retzius neurons in developing monkey neocortex show immunoreactivity for calcium binding proteins
1Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine 92717.
Journal of Neurocytology
|April 1, 1990
Summary
Calbindin and parvalbumin immunoreactivity mark Cajal-Retzius neurons in developing monkey cortex. These markers reveal a transient, neurochemically diverse neuronal population that disappears after birth.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Cajal-Retzius neurons are crucial for cortical development.
- Identifying specific markers for these transient neurons is challenging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the expression of calbindin and parvalbumin in Cajal-Retzius neurons during primate cortical development.
- To determine if these calcium-binding proteins can serve as reliable markers for Cajal-Retzius neurons.
Main Methods:
- Immunoreactivity for calbindin and parvalbumin was used.
- Acetylcholinesterase staining was also employed.
- Analysis was performed on developing Old World monkey cortex at various fetal ages (E110-E155) and at birth.
Main Results:
- Cajal-Retzius neurons throughout the cortex were consistently immunoreactive for calbindin and acetylcholinesterase from E110 to E155.
- A subset of these neurons, particularly in the visual cortex, also exhibited parvalbumin immunoreactivity between E130 and E150.
- The number of immunoreactive Cajal-Retzius cells decreased significantly by birth, with none detectable postnatally.
Conclusions:
- Calbindin and parvalbumin are valuable markers for identifying Cajal-Retzius neurons during primate cortical development.
- The varied expression patterns suggest that Cajal-Retzius neurons comprise a neurochemically heterogeneous population.
- These neurons are a transient population, disappearing after birth.