Genetic lineage tracing defines distinct neurogenic and gliogenic stages of ventral telencephalic radial glial development.
BACKGROUND
Radial glia comprise a molecularly defined neural progenitor population but their role in neurogenesis has remained contested due to the lack of a single universally accepted genetic tool for tracing their progeny and the inability to distinguish functionally distinct developmental stages.


RESULTS
By direct comparisons of Cre/loxP lineage tracing results obtained using three different radial glial promoters (Blbp, Glast, and hGFAP), we show that most neurons in the brain are derived from radial glia. Further, we show that hGFAP promoter induction occurs in ventral telencephalic radial glia only after they have largely completed neurogenesis.


CONCLUSIONS
These data establish the major neurogenic role of radial glia in the developing central nervous system and genetically distinguish an early neurogenic Blbp+Glast+hGFAP- stage from a later gliogenic Blbp+Glast+hGFAP+ stage in the ventral telencephalon.
Anthony
Todd E
TE
Laboratory of Molecular Biology, the Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, New York 10021, USA. todd22@caltech.edu
Heintz
Nathaniel
N
D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D019070:Cell Lineage / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D027341:Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D000071438:Fatty Acid-Binding Protein 7; D050556:Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D055495:Neurogenesis / Q000502:physiology*; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D013687:Telencephalon / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development*
D027341:Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter 1; C086936:Fabp7 protein, mouse; D000071438:Fatty Acid-Binding Protein 7; D050556:Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C493393:Slc1a3 protein, mouse; C485184:enhanced green fluorescent protein; C528900:glial fibrillary astrocytic protein, mouse; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins