Unraveling the developmental role of Cajal-Retzius neurons during the establishment of neocortical circuits in mice
Anatomy and Physiology
Final Report Abstract
The project aims at studying the activity-dependent role of Cajal‐Retzius neurons (CRNs) in the establishment of neocortical circuits. CRNs are a population of earlyborn and transient neurons. During embryonic and early postnatal stages in rodents, CRNs are located in the outer layer of the cerebral cortex, the marginal zone, before being almost entirely eliminated by apoptosis by the end of the second postnatal week. CRNs are best known for being the main source of Reelin, a large secreted protein necessary during brain development for the migration of glutamatergic neurons and the laminar organization of the cerebral cortex. Evidence shows that CRNs are well integrated into the developing cortical network: they receive GABAA-mediated inputs, fire action potentials and display long axonal projections. However, their participation into nascent cortical circuits and how this activity translates into developmental functions remain poorly understood. In particular, whether Reelin secretion by CRNs is a basal or activity-dependent process remains unknown. The project proposes to study whether electrical activity in CRNs participates in the establishment of the topographic representation of somatosensory stimuli in the cerebral cortex by 1) anatomically characterizing the inputs received by CRNs using monosynaptic viral retrograde tracing, 2) functionally characterizing CRNs’ activity using in vivo calcium imaging with and without peripheral stimulation and 3) investigate whether and how a modification of CRNs’ activity patterns affects Reelin secretion and cortical architecture.
Publications
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The multiple facets of Cajal-Retzius neurons. Development, 148(11).
Causeret, Frédéric; Moreau, Matthieu X.; Pierani, Alessandra & Blanquie, Oriane
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Different activity patterns control various stages of Reelin synthesis in the developing neocortex. Cerebral Cortex, 33(15), 9376-9386.
Engeroff, Kira; Warm, Davide; Bittner, Stefan & Blanquie, Oriane
