title: COUP-TFII expressing interneurons in human fetal forebrain.
abstract: Transcription factor COUP-TFII in rodents is important for migration of cortical interneurons from caudal ganglionic eminence (CGE) to the neocortex. Since in human, unlike in rodents, cortical interneurons have both ganglionic eminence (GE) and dorsal cortical origin, we studied the distribution of COUP-TFII in the human developing neocortex from 9 to 22 gestational weeks. COUP-TFII is expressed at all stages studied in the GE and in various cortical zones, from the proliferative ventricular/subventricular zone (VZ/SVZ) to layer I. Gradients of COUP-TFII expression are present in the GE, with peak expression in the CGE, and in the neocortex, from high expression in the temporal and occipital cortex to moderate in the frontal and dorsal cortex. Double immunofluorescence with γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), calretinin, or calbindin, established that subpopulations of interneurons express COUP-TFII. A small fraction of COUP-TFII(+) cells are progenitor cells that proliferate in the CGE (3.4 ± 0.3%) and in the cortical VZ/SVZ (1.7 ± 0.1%). In summary, COUP-TFII is expressed in the human fetal forebrain in GABAergic cells, according to its possible role in migration of cortical interneurons. The source of these cells seems to be the CGE and, to a smaller extent, the cortical VZ/SVZ.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06030, USA.
authors.forename: Gisela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Reinchisi
authors.forename: Kumiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ijichi
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Glidden
authors.forename: Igor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Jakovcevski
authors.forename: Nada
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zecevic
mesh_terms: D051837:COUP Transcription Factor II / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007395:Interneurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D016548:Prosencephalon / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D051837:COUP Transcription Factor II; C095569:NR2F2 protein, human