The generation of neurons and oligodendrocytes from a common precursor cell.
We have used a recombinant retrovirus carrying the lacZ gene to study the developmental potential of precursor cells from the embryonic rat cerebral cortex in dissociated cell culture. Virus was used to label a small number of cultured cells genetically so that their fate could be determined. Infected clones were detected with an anti-beta-galactosidase serum, and the labeled cells were identified using monoclonal antibodies. The results revealed that most precursor cells generated a single cell type, the majority being either neurons or oligodendrocytes. However, a proportion of the neuronal clones also included oligodendrocytes. This proportion increased until embryonic day 16 when 18% of the neuronal clones were of this type. This suggests that during neurogenesis in the cerebral cortex there exists a cell with the potential to generate these two quite different neural cell types.
Laboratory of Embryogenesis, National Institute for Medical Research, London, England.
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BP
Williams
J
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Read
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Price
D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000166:cytology* / Q000196:embryology; D002999:Clone Cells; D005819:Genetic Markers; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology*; D009836:Oligodendroglia / Q000166:cytology*; D010641:Phenotype; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D012190:Retroviridae / Q000235:genetics; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*
D005819:Genetic Markers