@article {Behar6378, author = {Toby N. Behar and Anne E. Schaffner and Catherine A. Scott and Casey O{\textquoteright}Connell and Jeffery L. Barker}, title = {Differential Response of Cortical Plate and Ventricular Zone Cells to GABA as a Migration Stimulus}, volume = {18}, number = {16}, pages = {6378--6387}, year = {1998}, doi = {10.1523/JNEUROSCI.18-16-06378.1998}, publisher = {Society for Neuroscience}, abstract = {A microdissection technique was used to separate differentiated cortical plate (cp) cells from immature ventricular zone cells (vz) in the rat embryonic cortex. The cp population contained \>85\% neurons (TUJ1+), whereas the vz population contained \~{}60\% precursors (nestin+ only). The chemotropic response of each population was analyzed in vitro, using an established microchemotaxis assay. Micromolar GABA (1{\textendash}5 μm) stimulated the motility of cp neurons expressing glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), the rate-limiting enzyme in GABA synthesis. In contrast, femtomolar GABA (500 fm) directed a subset of GAD- vz neurons to migrate. Thus, the two GABA concentrations evoked the motility of phenotypically distinct populations derived from different anatomical regions. Pertussis toxin (PTX) blocked GABA-induced migration, indicating that chemotropic signals involve G-protein activation. Depolarization by micromolar muscimol, elevated [K+]o, or micromolar glutamate arrested migration to GABA or GABA mimetics, indicating that migration is inhibited in the presence of excitatory stimuli. These results suggest that GABA, a single ligand, can promote motility via G-protein activation and arrest attractant-induced migration via GABAA receptor-mediated depolarization.}, issn = {0270-6474}, URL = {https://www.jneurosci.org/content/18/16/6378}, eprint = {https://www.jneurosci.org/content/18/16/6378.full.pdf}, journal = {Journal of Neuroscience} }