Early postnatal migration and development of layer II pyramidal neurons in the rodent cingulate/retrosplenial cortex

Cereb Cortex. 2012 Jan;22(1):144-57. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhr097. Epub 2011 May 30.

Abstract

The cingulate and retrosplenial regions are major components of the dorsomedial (dm) limbic cortex and have been implicated in a range of cognitive functions such as emotion, attention, and spatial memory. While the structure and connectivity of these cortices are well characterized, little is known about their development. Notably, the timing and mode of migration that govern the appropriate positioning of late-born neurons remain unknown. Here, we analyzed migratory events during the early postnatal period from ventricular/subventricular zone (VZ/SVZ) to the cerebral cortex by transducing neuronal precursors in the VZ/SVZ of newborn rats/mice with Tomato/green fluorescent protein-encoding lentivectors. We have identified a pool of postmitotic pyramidal precursors in the dm part of the neonatal VZ/SVZ that migrate into the medial limbic cortex during the first postnatal week. Time-lapse imaging demonstrates that these cells migrate on radial glial fibers by locomotion and display morphological and behavioral changes as they travel through the white matter and enter into the cortical gray matter. In the granular retrosplenial cortex, these cells give rise to a Satb2+ pyramidal subtype and develop dendritic bundles in layer I. Our observations provide the first insight into the patterns and dynamics of cell migration into the medial limbic cortex.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Age Factors
  • Animals
  • Animals, Newborn
  • Bromodeoxyuridine / metabolism
  • Cell Movement / genetics*
  • Cerebral Ventricles / cytology
  • Cerebral Ventricles / growth & development
  • Dendrites / metabolism
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / genetics
  • Genetic Vectors / physiology
  • Glutamate Decarboxylase / genetics
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / genetics
  • Gyrus Cinguli / cytology*
  • Gyrus Cinguli / growth & development*
  • Lentivirus / genetics
  • Luminescent Proteins / genetics
  • Matrix Attachment Region Binding Proteins / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Microscopy, Confocal
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / metabolism
  • Neural Stem Cells / physiology
  • Pyramidal Cells / physiology*
  • Pyramidal Cells / ultrastructure
  • Red Fluorescent Protein
  • T-Box Domain Proteins / metabolism
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism
  • Ubiquitin / genetics

Substances

  • Eomes protein, mouse
  • Luminescent Proteins
  • Matrix Attachment Region Binding Proteins
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • SATB2 protein, mouse
  • T-Box Domain Proteins
  • Transcription Factors
  • Ubiquitin
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins
  • Glutamate Decarboxylase
  • glutamate decarboxylase 2
  • Bromodeoxyuridine