Dividing precursor cells of the embryonic cortical ventricular zone have morphological and molecular characteristics of radial glia. Noctor, S. C, Flint, A. C, Weissman, T. A, Wong, W. S, Clinton, B. K, & Kriegstein, A. R J Neurosci, 22(8):3161–3173, April, 2002.
abstract   bibtex   
The embryonic ventricular zone (VZ) of the cerebral cortex contains migrating neurons, radial glial cells, and a large population of cycling progenitor cells that generate newborn neurons. The latter two cell classes have been assumed for some time to be distinct in both function and anatomy, but the cellular anatomy of the progenitor cell type has remained poorly defined. Several recent reports have raised doubts about the distinction between radial glial and precursor cells by demonstrating that radial glial cells are themselves neuronal progenitor cells (Malatesta et al., 2000; Hartfuss et al., 2001; Miyata et al., 2001; Noctor et al., 2001). This discovery raises the possibility that radial glia and the population of VZ progenitor cells may be one anatomical and functional cell class. Such a hypothesis predicts that throughout neurogenesis almost all mitotically active VZ cells and a substantial percentage of VZ cells overall are radial glia. We have therefore used various anatomical, immunohistochemical, and electrophysiological techniques to test these predictions. Our data demonstrate that the majority of VZ cells, and nearly all mitotically active VZ cells during neurogenesis, both have radial glial morphology and express radial glial markers. In addition, intracellular dye filling of electrophysiologically characterized progenitor cells in the VZ demonstrates that these cells have the morphology of radial glia. Because the vast majority cycling cells in the cortical VZ have characteristics of radial glia, the radial glial precursor cell may be responsible for both the production of newborn neurons and the guidance of daughter neurons to their destinations in the developing cortex.
@ARTICLE{Noctor2002-kh,
  title    = "Dividing precursor cells of the embryonic cortical ventricular
              zone have morphological and molecular characteristics of radial
              glia",
  author   = "Noctor, Stephen C and Flint, Alexander C and Weissman, Tamily A
              and Wong, Winston S and Clinton, Brian K and Kriegstein, Arnold R",
  abstract = "The embryonic ventricular zone (VZ) of the cerebral cortex
              contains migrating neurons, radial glial cells, and a large
              population of cycling progenitor cells that generate newborn
              neurons. The latter two cell classes have been assumed for some
              time to be distinct in both function and anatomy, but the
              cellular anatomy of the progenitor cell type has remained poorly
              defined. Several recent reports have raised doubts about the
              distinction between radial glial and precursor cells by
              demonstrating that radial glial cells are themselves neuronal
              progenitor cells (Malatesta et al., 2000; Hartfuss et al., 2001;
              Miyata et al., 2001; Noctor et al., 2001). This discovery raises
              the possibility that radial glia and the population of VZ
              progenitor cells may be one anatomical and functional cell class.
              Such a hypothesis predicts that throughout neurogenesis almost
              all mitotically active VZ cells and a substantial percentage of
              VZ cells overall are radial glia. We have therefore used various
              anatomical, immunohistochemical, and electrophysiological
              techniques to test these predictions. Our data demonstrate that
              the majority of VZ cells, and nearly all mitotically active VZ
              cells during neurogenesis, both have radial glial morphology and
              express radial glial markers. In addition, intracellular dye
              filling of electrophysiologically characterized progenitor cells
              in the VZ demonstrates that these cells have the morphology of
              radial glia. Because the vast majority cycling cells in the
              cortical VZ have characteristics of radial glia, the radial glial
              precursor cell may be responsible for both the production of
              newborn neurons and the guidance of daughter neurons to their
              destinations in the developing cortex.",
  journal  = "J Neurosci",
  volume   =  22,
  number   =  8,
  pages    = "3161--3173",
  month    =  apr,
  year     =  2002,
  language = "en"
}

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