Transient patterns of calbindin-D28k expression in the developing striatum of man

In fetal and adult human brains, calbindin immunoreactivity (CB-ir) of neostriatal neuropil showed inhomogeneous pattern. A mosaic of CB-ir neuropil patches matching the acetylcholinesterase (AChE)-reactive patches and most of the encapsulated cell-dense islands was distributed in a lighter stained background matrix. During infancy, the pattern of CB expression changed from one of CB-rich patches to one of CB-poor striosomes and rich matrix. Furthermore, we observed a steady development of population of medium-sized neurons in the striatal matrix; in addition, a transient CB-expression was found in cells of the ganglionic eminence and presumably in a subset of striatal interneurons.