Arrested proliferation of radial glial cells during midgestation in rhesus monkey (original) (raw)
- Letter
- Published: 25 January 1979
Nature volume 277, pages 303–305 (1979)Cite this article
- 296 Accesses
- 149 Citations
- Metrics details
Abstract
AUTORADIOGRAPHIC analysis using 3H-thymidine labelled DNA demonstrates that some radial glial cells in the fetal monkey cerebrum stop dividing during hiidgestation. After two months they re-enter the mitotic cycle and become transformed into astrocytes. In their amitotic period, radial glial cells remain stretched across the width of the rapidly expanding telencephalic wall. This is significant because elongated glial fibres may have a role in guidance of neuronal migration1–3. The pause in proliferation of radial glial cells could ensure a faithful mapping of the proliferative ventricular surface upon the expanding and convoluted cerebral cortex of primates, including man3. Elongated radial glial cells span the distance between the ventricular and pial surface of the developing telencephalon (Fig. 1). Studies using Golgi silver impregnations4–7, electron microscopy1,8,9 and immunohistochemistry10–12substantiate the glial nature of this transient cell class (for review see refs 12, 13). In the monkey occipital lobe, radial glial cells are present throughout the last two-thirds of gestation12,14. The process of transformation of radial glial cells into astrocytes and ependymal cells begins during the first half of gestation and is completed by the second postnatal month12,14. However, during midgestation, when neuronal migration is at a peak15, many radial glial cells remain attached to the ventricular and pial surfaces (Fig. 1); they increase in length, and curve with the expansion and convolution of the cerebral wall3,12,14. The present study was undertaken to determine whether such glial cells undergo cell division after attaining their radial configuration.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on SpringerLink
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Additional access options:
Similar content being viewed by others
References
- Rakic, P. J. comp. Neurol. 145, 61–84 (1972).
Article CAS Google Scholar - Rakic, P. J. comp. Neurol. 141, 283–312 (1971).
Article CAS Google Scholar - Rakic, P. Postgrad. Med. J. 54, 25–40 (1978).
PubMed Google Scholar - Ramon y Cajal, S. Histologie du Systeme Nerveux de l'Homme et des Vertebres (Maloine, Paris, 1911).
Google Scholar - Golgi, C. Sulla fina anatomia degli organi centrali del sistema nervoso (Hoepli, Milan, 1903).
Google Scholar - Retizus, G. Biol. Utersch. 6, 1–24 (1894).
Google Scholar - Koelliker, A. Handbuch der Gewebelehre des Meschen, Vol 2 (Engelman, Leipzig, 1896).
Google Scholar - Peters, A. & Feldman, M. Z. Anat. Entwicki. Gesch. 141, 3–37 (1973).
Article CAS Google Scholar - Stensaas, L. J. & Stensaas, S. S. Z. Zellforsch. Mikrosk. Anat. 91, 315–340 (1968).
Article CAS Google Scholar - Bignami, A. & Dahl, D. Nature 252, 55–56 (1974).
Article ADS CAS Google Scholar - Antanitus, D. S., Choi, B. H. & Lapham, L. W. Brain Res. 103, 613–616 (1976).
Article CAS Google Scholar - Schmechel, D. E. & Rakic, P. Anat. Embryol. (in the press).
- Somjen, G. & Varon, S. Neurosci. Res. Prog. Bull. (in the press).
- Rakic, P. in Brain Mechanisms in Mental Retardation (eds Buchwald, A. A. & Brazier, M.) 3–40 (Academic, New York, 1975).
Book Google Scholar - Rakic, P. Science 183, 425–427 (1974).
Article ADS CAS Google Scholar - Rakic, P. J. comp. Neurol. 147, 523–546 (1973); 176, 23–52 (1977).
Article CAS Google Scholar - Gaze, R. & Watson, W. in Growth of the Nervous System (eds Wolstenholme, G. E. W. & O'Connor, M.) 53–67 (Little and Brown, Boston, 1967).
Google Scholar
Author information
Author notes
- DONALD E. SCHMECHEL
Present address: Department of Neurology, Duke University, North Carolina
Authors and Affiliations
- Section of Neuroanatomy, Yale University, School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, 06510
DONALD E. SCHMECHEL & PASKO RAKIC
Authors
- DONALD E. SCHMECHEL
You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar - PASKO RAKIC
You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
SCHMECHEL, D., RAKIC, P. Arrested proliferation of radial glial cells during midgestation in rhesus monkey.Nature 277, 303–305 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1038/277303a0
- Received: 19 September 1978
- Accepted: 08 December 1978
- Issue Date: 25 January 1979
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/277303a0