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Postnatal Expression of Doublecortin (Dcx) in the Developing Cerebellar Cortex of Mouse

Acta Biologica Hungarica volume 59, pages 147–161 (2008)Cite this article

Abstract

We have investigated the expression of Doublecortin (Dcx) protein in the developing cerebellum of mouse from postnatal 2nd day to postnatal 22nd day and in young adults by immunohistochemistry. Strong expression of Dcx was present in the inner zone of the external granule cell layer, and remained strong while postmitotic granule cell precursors were present in this transitory layer. Descending granule cell precursors exhibited Dcx immunostaining not only while migrating but for a short time also after their settlement. Dcx-immunostained cells appeared in deep cerebellocortical territories and in the cerebellar white matter during the first postnatal week. These bipolar cells were arranged in the sagittal plane and built up transitory migratory streams during the second postnatal week and their number gradually decreased during the third postnatal week. Upward migration of bipolar cells was observed while leaving the migratory streams, penetrating the internal granule cell layer and the molecular layer. These cells were considered as precursors of late migrating molecular layer interneurons. However, a proportion of Dcx-immunostained cells underwent a bipolar-to-multipolar dendritic remodellation and — on the basis of strong morphological similarities — was taken for “multipotent progenitor cells”, described recently in the neocortex of adult rat.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Dr. R. Maggi for critical reading of successive versions of the manuscript, and thank for providing Doublecortin (C-18) antibody. This work was supported by OTKA grant T 43478. The Hungarian Science and Technology Foundation together with the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also supported this work in the frame of Hungarian—Italian Intergovernmental Scientific and Technology Cooperation, I-14/03.

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Affiliations

  1. Infobionic and Neurobiological Plasticity Research Group of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Péter Pázmány Catholic University - Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary

    J. Takács, Julianna Víg & J. Hámori

  2. Laboratory of Developmental Neuroendocrinology, Department of Endocrinology, Centre of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Milano, Milano, Italy

    Roberta Zaninetti

  3. Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary

    Cs. Vastagh

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  1. J. Takács
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  2. Roberta Zaninetti
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  3. Julianna Víg
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  4. Cs. Vastagh
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  5. J. Hámori
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Correspondence to J. Takács.

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Takács, J., Zaninetti, R., Víg, J. et al. Postnatal Expression of Doublecortin (Dcx) in the Developing Cerebellar Cortex of Mouse. BIOLOGIA FUTURA 59, 147–161 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1556/ABiol.59.2008.2.2

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Keywords

  • Cerebellum
  • development
  • neuronal migration
  • remodeling