TY - JOUR T1 - Early Neuronal and Glial Fate Restriction of Embryonic Neural Stem Cells JF - The Journal of Neuroscience JO - J. Neurosci. SP - 2551 LP - 2562 DO - 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.5497-07.2008 VL - 28 IS - 10 AU - Delphine Delaunay AU - Katharina Heydon AU - Ana Cumano AU - Markus H. Schwab AU - Jean-Léon Thomas AU - Ueli Suter AU - Klaus-Armin Nave AU - Bernard Zalc AU - Nathalie Spassky Y1 - 2008/03/05 UR - http://www.jneurosci.org/content/28/10/2551.abstract N2 - The question of how neurons and glial cells are generated during the development of the CNS has over time led to two alternative models: either neuroepithelial cells are capable of giving rise to neurons first and to glial cells at a later stage (switching model), or they are intrinsically committed to generate one or the other (segregating model). Using the developing diencephalon as a model and by selecting a subpopulation of ventricular cells, we analyzed both in vitro, using clonal analysis, and in vivo, using inducible Cre/loxP fate mapping, the fate of neuroepithelial and radial glial cells generated at different time points during embryonic development. We found that, during neurogenic periods [embryonic day 9.5 (E9.5) to 12.5], proteolipid protein (plp)-expressing cells were lineage-restricted neuronal precursors, but later in embryogenesis, during gliogenic periods (E13.5 to early postnatal), plp-expressing cells were lineage-restricted glial precursors. In addition, we show that glial cells forming at E13.5 arise from a new pool of neuroepithelial progenitors distinct from neuronal progenitors cells, which lends support to the segregating model. ER -