The Journal of Neuroscience, August 15, 2001, 21(16):6195-6205
Aldolase C/Zebrin II Expression in the Neonatal Rat Forebrain
Reveals Cellular Heterogeneity within the Subventricular Zone and Early
Astrocyte Differentiation
Susan M.
Staugaitis1,
Marielba
Zerlin2,
Richard
Hawkes3,
Joel M.
Levine4, and
James E.
Goldman2
1 Department of Neurosciences (NC30), The Lerner
Research Institute, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland,
Ohio 44195, 2 Department of Pathology, Columbia University,
College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York 10032, 3 Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Faculty of
Medicine, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2N 4N1, and
4 Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, State University
of New York, Stony Brook, New York 11794
During late gestational and early postnatal development,
proliferating cells in the subventricular zones of the lateral
ventricles (SVZ) migrate into the gray and white matter of the
forebrain and differentiate into astrocytes and oligodendrocytes.
Because the cellular composition and structure of the neonatal SVZ is poorly understood, we performed a differential display PCR screen to
identify genes preferentially expressed therein. One highly expressed gene encoded aldolase C. We used a specific monoclonal antibody, aldolase C/zebrin II (ALDC/ZII), in combination with markers of glial lineage and proliferation, to characterize the cells
that express this gene. In the neonatal SVZ, ALDC/ZII-positive cells,
which are generally polygonal and display several processes, have a
nonuniform spatial distribution. They do not express vimentin, GFAP, or
NG2. A subset of ALDC/ZII-positive cells incorporates bromodeoxyuridine, but progenitors identified by
-galactosidase expression after infection with recombinant
BAG virus do not show ALDC/ZII immunoreactivity. Outside of the
SVZ, -galactosidase-positive/ALDC/ZII-positive cells have an
astrocytic phenotype, suggesting that immunoreactivity was acquired
after exit from the SVZ. These studies demonstrate that the neonatal
SVZ is composed of different populations of cells that can be
characterized by their antigenic phenotype, their proliferative
capacity, and their spatial distributions. Nonrandom distributions of
different cell types within the SVZ may permit the formation of
microenvironments that stimulate the production of cells with specific
potentials at appropriate points in development. Analysis of ALDC/ZII
expression by astrocyte lineage cells in the neonatal cerebral cortex
and white matter may reveal insights into the phenotype and behavior of
undifferentiated astrocyte progenitors.
Key words:
subventricular zone; astrocyte; oligodendrocyte; progenitor cells; cell lineage; aldolase C; zebrin II; NG2 chondroitin
sulfate proteoglycan; vimentin
Copyright © 2001 Society for Neuroscience 0270-6474/01/21166195-11$05.00/0
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