Reelin is a positional signal for the lamination of dentate granule cells.
Reelin is required for the proper positioning of neurons in the cerebral cortex. In the reeler mutant lacking reelin, the granule cells of the dentate gyrus fail to form a regular, densely packed cell layer. Recent evidence suggests that this defect is due to the malformation of radial glial processes required for granule cell migration. Here, we show that recombinant reelin in the medium significantly increases the length of GFAP-positive radial glial fibers in slice cultures of reeler hippocampus, but does not rescue either radial glial fiber orientation or granule cell lamination. However, rescue of radial glial fiber orientation and granule cell lamination was achieved when reelin was present in the normotopic position provided by wild-type co-culture, an effect that is blocked by the CR-50 antibody against reelin. These results indicate a dual function of reelin in the dentate gyrus, as a differentiation factor for radial glial cells and as a positional cue for radial fiber orientation and granule cell migration.
Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Albertstr. 17, 79104 Freiburg, Germany.
Shanting
S
Zhao
Xuejun
X
Chai
Eckart
E
Förster
Michael
M
Frotscher
D000818:Animals; D015816:Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D018891:Dentate Gyrus / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D000091042:Reelin Protein; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases
D015816:Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D000091042:Reelin Protein; C000717129:Reln protein, rat; C000717128:Reln protein, mouse; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases