Previous in vitro studies have shown that the neurotransmitter glutamate is important in brain development. Paradoxically, lossof-function mouse models of glutamatergic signaling that are generated by genetic deletion of glutamate receptors or glutamate release show normal brain assembly. We examined the direct consequences on brain development of extracellular glutamate buildup due to the depletion of the glutamate transporters GLAST and GLT1. GLAST͞GLT1 double knockout mice show multiple brain defects, including cortical, hippocampal, and olfactory bulb disorganization with perinatal mortality. Here, we report abnormal formation of the neocortex in GLAST͞GLT1 mutants. Several essential aspects of neuronal development, such as stem cell proliferation, radial migration, neuronal differentiation, and survival of SP neurons, were impaired. These results provide direct in vivo evidence that GLAST and GLT1 are necessary for brain development through regulation of extracellular glutamate concentration and show that an important mechanism is likely to be maintenance of glutamate-mediated synaptic transmission.axon͞dendrite development ͉ cortex ͉ radial fiber

-To demonstrate induction of delayed central nervous toxicity by disturbing neuronal activities in the developing brain, we administered a single intraperitoneal dose of domoic acid (DA; 1 -ing and weaning. All male offspring mice after weaning were apparently normal in response to handlers during cage maintenance, body weight measurement and to mate mice in group housing conditions. At the age of 11 weeks, our neurobehavior testing battery revealed severe impairment of learning and memory with serious deviances of anxiety-related behaviors. The developed brain of prenatally exposed mice showed myelination failure and the overgrowth of neuronal processes of the limbic cortex neurons. This study indicates that the temporal disturbance of neurotransmission of the developing brain induces irreversible structural and functional damage to offspring which becomes monitorable in their adulthood by a proper battery of neurobehavioral tests.

The distribution of sensory neurons innervating the peritoneum was studied using axonal transport of fluoro-gold. The tracer was injected into parietal peritoneum, diaphragm, mesentery, mesocolon, visceral peritoneum covering the stomach, small intestine, colon, liver, spleen, kidney, urinary bladder or uterus. After ten days of survival bilateral dorsal root ganglia from C2 to S6, and the nodose ganglia were dissected. The cryostat sections of these ganglia were mounted on glass slides and observed with a fluorescence microscope. In cases where the tracer was placed on the peritoneum covering the abdominal wall, labeled neurons were observed only in the ipsilateral dorsal root ganglia. A small number of neurons in nodose and cervical dorsal root ganglia of both sides were labeled after placing the tracer on the central part of the diaphragm. When fluoro-gold was applied to the peripheral part of the diaphragm, nodose ganglion was negative, and dorsal root ganglia from T6 to T12 were positive. Many neurons in the nodose ganglia in addition to somata in the dorsal root ganglia from T4 to T13 were labeled when the tracer was placed on the peritoneum lining the stomach, small intestine or caecum. After applying the tracer onto the colon, labeled neurons were observed in the dorsal root ganglia from T13 to L2 and L5 to S1. Ganglion cells in the nodose and dorsal root ganglia from T5 to T13 were positive when fluoro-gold was placed on the mesentery. No labeled neurons were observed in any ganglia when the tracer was applied to the peritoneum covering the spleen, kidney, uterus, urinary bladder and liver. These results suggest that most of the parietal peritoneum receives sensory nerves from dorsal root ganglia and the visceral peritoneum from both spinal nerves and the vagus nerve.

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