Contact Repulsion Controls the Dispersion and Final Distribution of Cajal-Retzius Cells

Cajal-Retzius (CR) cells play a fundamental role in the development of the mammalian cerebral cortex. They control the formation of cortical layers by regulating the migration of pyramidal cells through the release of Reelin. The function of CR cells critically depends on their regular distribution...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Neuron (Cambridge, Mass.) Mass.), 2013-02, Vol.77 (3), p.457-471
Main Authors: Villar-Cerviño, Verona, Molano-Mazón, Manuel, Catchpole, Timothy, Valdeolmillos, Miguel, Henkemeyer, Mark, Martínez, Luis M., Borrell, Víctor, Marín, Oscar
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Age Factors
Animals
Body Patterning - genetics
Body Patterning - physiology
Calbindin 2
Cell Movement - genetics
Cell Movement - physiology
Cerebral Cortex - cytology
Cerebral Cortex - embryology
Colonies & territories
Embryo, Mammalian
Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental - genetics
Green Fluorescent Proteins - genetics
Mice
Mice, Inbred C57BL
Mice, Transgenic
Microscopy, Confocal
Migration
Nerve Tissue Proteins - metabolism
Neurons
Neurons - physiology
Organ Culture Techniques
Receptor, EphB1 - genetics
Receptor, EphB2 - genetics
Receptor, EphB3 - genetics
S100 Calcium Binding Protein G - genetics
Segregation
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Cajal-Retzius (CR) cells play a fundamental role in the development of the mammalian cerebral cortex. They control the formation of cortical layers by regulating the migration of pyramidal cells through the release of Reelin. The function of CR cells critically depends on their regular distribution throughout the surface of the cortex, but little is known about the events controlling this phenomenon. Using time-lapse video microscopy in vivo and in vitro, we found that movement of CR cells is regulated by repulsive interactions, which leads to their random dispersion throughout the cortical surface. Mathematical modeling reveals that contact repulsion is both necessary and sufficient for this process, which demonstrates that complex neuronal assemblies may emerge during development through stochastic events. At the molecular level, we found that contact repulsion is mediated by Eph/ephrin interactions. Our observations reveal a mechanism that controls the even distribution of neurons in the developing brain. ► Cajal-Retzius cells undergo contact repulsion while migrating to occupy the cortex ► Contact repulsion is sufficient and necessary for Cajal-Retzius cell dispersion ► Contact repulsion stabilizes different territories of Cajal-Retzius cells ► Eph/ephrin signaling mediates contact repulsion between Cajal-Retzius cells In this study, Villar-Cerviño and colleagues demonstrate that migrating Cajal-Retzius cells use contact repulsion to efficiently distribute throughout the surface of the embryonic mouse cerebral cortex. This process of “cellular tiling” is mediated, at least in part, by Eph/ephrin signaling.
ISSN:0896-6273
1097-4199
DOI:10.1016/j.neuron.2012.11.023