Radial glia and neural stem cells

Abstract

During the last decade, the role of radial glia has been radically revisited. Rather than being considered a mere structural component serving to guide newborn neurons towards their final destinations, radial glia is now known to be the main source of neurons in several regions of the central nervous system, notably in the cerebral cortex. Radial glial cells differentiate from neuroepithelial progenitors at the beginning of neurogenesis and share with their ancestors the bipolar shape and the expression of some molecular markers. Radial glia, however, can be distinguished from neuroepithelial progenitors by the expression of astroglial markers. Clonal analyses showed that radial glia is a heterogeneous population, comprising both pluripotent and different lineage-restricted neural progenitors. At late-embryonic and postnatal stages, radial glial cells give rise to the neural stem cells responsible for adult neurogenesis. Embryonic pluripotent radial glia and adult neural stem cells may be clonally linked, thus representing a lineage displaying stem cell features in both the developing and mature central nervous system.

Induced Spreading Depression Evokes Cell Division of Astrocytes in the Subpial Zone, Generating Neural Precursor-Like Cells and New Immature Neurons in the Adult Cerebral Cortex

“…25 When the neuronal production is complete, after "final asymmetrical" cell division with loss of vimentin, most of the radial glial cells transform into mature astrocytes, and only a few radial glial cells remain into adulthood as relatively quiescent neural progenitors in the SVZ. 17,24 The vimentin ϩ cell density increased from Day 3 to 6 without a prior increase in mitotic cell density in the SPZ (Figure 4A), suggesting that vimentin ϩ cells spreading over cortical Layers II to IV moved to the SPZ. To clarify translocation mechanisms, if any, including scaffold structures involving the pia mater, requires further investigation.…”

“…17,23 Radial glial cells divide asymmetrically, producing neural precursor cell(s) and a new radial glial cell. 24 The radial process of radial glia serves as a scaffold connected to the embryonic ventricular surface and the pia mater in embryonic cortical Layer I to guide their daughter cells to migrate into cortical Layers II to VI. 24 The long processes of radial glia cells remain attached to these surfaces even during mitosis.…”

“…24 The radial process of radial glia serves as a scaffold connected to the embryonic ventricular surface and the pia mater in embryonic cortical Layer I to guide their daughter cells to migrate into cortical Layers II to VI. 24 The long processes of radial glia cells remain attached to these surfaces even during mitosis. 25 When the neuronal production is complete, after "final asymmetrical" cell division with loss of vimentin, most of the radial glial cells transform into mature astrocytes, and only a few radial glial cells remain into adulthood as relatively quiescent neural progenitors in the SVZ.…”

A cell junction pathology of neural stem cells leads to abnormal neurogenesis and hydrocephalus

“…1A) (Jacobsen, 1991;Brazel et al, 2003;Gotz and Huttner, 2005;Merkle and Alvarez-Buylla 2006;Malatesta et al, 2008). The VZ is a pseudostratifi ed neuroepithelium that contains multipotent radial glia/ stem cells, hereafter called neural stem cells (NSCs).…”

Early regulation of brain aromatase (cyp19a1b) by estrogen receptors during zebrafish development

“…Indeed, they are progenitor cells ultimately capable of generating all brain cell types during mammalian embryogenesis before disappearing in adults (Gotz and Barde, 2005;Bonfanti and Peretto, 2007;Noctor et al, 2007;Malatesta et al, 2008). In other vertebrates, including teleost fish, radial cells persit in adult (Onteniente et al, 1983;Menuet et al, 2003Menuet et al, , 2005Zupanc and Clint, 2003;Pellegrini et al, 2007) and it was recently shown that radial cell can generate neurons throughout adult life in fish Adolf et al, 2006).…”