title: Wnt/β-catenin signalling is active in a highly dynamic pattern during development of the mouse cerebellum.
abstract: The adult cerebellum is composed of several distinct cell types with well defined developmental origins. However, the molecular mechanisms that govern the generation of these cell types are only partially resolved. Wnt/β-catenin signalling has a wide variety of roles in generation of the central nervous system, though the specific activity of this pathway during cerebellum development is not well understood. Here, we present data that delineate the spatio-temporal specific pattern of Wnt/β-catenin signaling during mouse cerebellum development between E12.5 and P21. Using the BAT-gal Wnt/β-catenin reporter mouse, we found that Wnt/β-catenin activity is present transiently at the embryonic rhombic lip but not at later stages during the expansion of cell populations that arise from there. At late embryonic and early postnatal stages, Wnt/β-catenin activity shifts to the cerebellar ventricular zone and to cells arising from this germinal centre. Subsequently, the expression pattern becomes progressively restricted to Bergmann glial cells, which show expression of the reporter at P21. These results indicate a variety of potential functions for Wnt/β-catenin activity during cerebellum development.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Integrative Physiology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Hayden J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Selvadurai
authors.forename: John O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Mason
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013997:Time Factors; D051155:Wnt1 Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001616:beta-Galactosidase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen; D051155:Wnt1 Protein; C495246:Wnt1 protein, mouse; D051176:beta Catenin; D001616:beta-Galactosidase