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Radial Glial Cells: New Views on Old Questions
Jon I Arellano1, Yury M Morozov1, Nicola Micali1
1Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine and Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA.
Neurochemical Research
|March 16, 2021
Summary
Radial glial cells (RGCs) are the primary progenitors during early brain development. In primates, RGCs express GFAP early, retracting their apical processes during mitosis, unlike in rodents.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Radial glial cells (RGCs) are crucial progenitors and guides in vertebrate brain development, originating from neuroepithelial cells (NECs).
- Questions remain regarding the NEC to RGC transition and the role of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in RGCs, particularly the species-specific timing of GFAP expression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the transformation of NECs into RGCs and the dynamics of GFAP expression during primate neocortical development.
- To clarify the function and molecular characteristics of RGCs, contrasting them with NECs.
Main Methods:
- Ultrastructural analysis of GFAP expression and cell morphology in dividing progenitors of the macaque monkey embryonic neocortex.
Main Results:
- Radial glial cells (RGCs) are the predominant progenitors at the onset of neurogenesis in the developing cerebrum, exhibiting glial features like GFAP expression and lacking tight junctions.
- RGCs appear to retract their apical processes during mitosis.
Conclusions:
- RGCs are the main progenitors in the primate cerebrum at the start of neurogenesis, characterized by GFAP expression and dynamic morphological changes during mitosis.
- Findings highlight differences between RGCs and NECs and their dynamic behavior during neurogenesis.
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