title: The proliferative ventricular zone in adult vertebrates: a comparative study using reptiles, birds, and mammals.
abstract: Although evidence accumulated during the last decades has advanced our understanding of adult neurogenesis in the vertebrate brain, many aspects of this intriguing phenomenon remain controversial. Here we review the organization and cellular composition of the ventricular wall of reptiles, birds, and mammals in an effort to identify differences and commonalities among these vertebrate classes. Three major cell types have been identified in the ventricular zone of reptiles and birds: migrating (Type A) cells, radial glial (Type B) cells, and ependymal (Type E) cells. Cells similar anatomically and functionally to Types A, B, and E have also been described in the ventricular wall of mammals, which contains an additional cell type (Type C) not found in reptiles or birds. The bulk of the evidence points to a role of Type B cells as primary neural precursors (stem cells) in the three classes of living amniotic vertebrates. This finding may have implications for the development of strategies for the possible treatment of human neurological disorders.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biología Celular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Valencia, Valencia, Spain. j.manuel.garcia@uv.es
authors.forename: Jose Manuel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: García-Verdugo
authors.forename: Sacri
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ferrón
authors.forename: Nuria
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Flames
authors.forename: Lucía
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Collado
authors.forename: Ester
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Desfilis
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Font
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000502:physiology*; D004805:Ependyma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D020547:Lateral Ventricles / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008322:Mammals / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012104:Reptiles / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D013687:Telencephalon / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure