title: Autonomous turning of cerebellar granule cells in vitro by intrinsic programs.
abstract: External guidance cues play a role in controlling neuronal cell turning in the developing brain, but little is known about whether intrinsic programs are also involved in controlling the turning. In this study, we examined whether granule cells undergo autonomous changes in the direction of migration in the microexplant cultures of the early postnatal mouse cerebellum. We found that granule cells exhibit spontaneous and periodical turning without cell-cell contact and in the absence of external guidance cues. The frequency of turning was increased by stimulating the Ca(2+) influx and the internal Ca(2+) release, or inhibiting the cAMP signaling pathway, while the frequency was reduced by inhibiting the Ca(2+) influx. Granule cell turning in vitro was classified into four distinct modes, which were characterized by the morphological changes in the leading process and the trailing process, such as bifurcating, turning, withdrawing, and changing the polarity. The occurrence of the 1st and 2nd modes of turning was differentially affected by altering the Ca(2+) and cAMP signaling pathways. Collectively, the results demonstrate that intrinsic programs regulate the autonomous turning of cerebellar granule cells in vitro. Furthermore, the results suggest that extrinsic signals play a role as essential modulators of intrinsic programs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences/NC30, Lerner Research Institute, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA.
authors.forename: Tatsuro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kumada
authors.forename: Yulan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Aya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kawanami
authors.forename: D Bryant
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Cameron
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Komuro
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D020013:Calcium Signaling / Q000502:physiology; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D016764:Cell Polarity / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000166:cytology* / Q000254:growth & development; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D046509:Tissue Culture Techniques
chemical_list: D000242:Cyclic AMP; D002118:Calcium