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The Journal of Neuroscience, January 1, 2001, 21(1):159-168
The External Granule Layer of the Developing Chick Cerebellum
Generates Granule Cells and Cells of the Isthmus and Rostral
Hindbrain
John C.
Lin,
Li
Cai, and
Constance L.
Cepko
Department of Genetics, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard
Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
The external granule layer (EGL) on the dorsal surface of the
developing cerebellum consists of neural progenitors originating from
the rostral rhombic lip (RRL). The RRL and the EGL were thought to give
rise exclusively to the granule neurons of the cerebellum (Alder et
al., 1996). To study the fate of individual RRL cells, we used a
retroviral library to mark clones in the chick embryo at
Hamberger-Hamilton stages 10-12. RRL clones comprised the EGL and cerebellar granule cells, as expected. Surprisingly, however, as
many as 50% of the RRL clones also contained cells ventral to the
cerebellum proper. Ventral derivatives were found in clones with a
medial origin, as well as in those with a lateral origin along the RRL.
Some of the ventral progeny appeared to be in the process of migration,
whereas others appeared to be differentiating neurons in the isthmus
and the rostral hindbrain region, including the locus coeruleus (LC)
and pontine reticular formation. Furthermore, the Phox2a marker of LC
precursors was detected in the EGL within the anterior aspect of the
cerebellum. A stream of cells originating in the EGL and expressing
Phox2a was observed to terminate ventrally in the LC. These data
demonstrate that single RRL progenitor cells are not restricted to
producing only cerebellar granule cells; they produce both cerebellar
granule cells and ventral derivatives, some of which become hindbrain
neurons. They also suggest that some progeny of the EGL escape the
cerebellum via the anterior aspect of the cerebellar peduncles, to
contribute to the generation of ventral structures such as the LC.
Key words:
cerebellum; hindbrain; retrovirus; lineage; migration; rhombic lip
Copyright © 2001 Society for Neuroscience 0270-6474/01/211159-10$05.00/0
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