Int. J. Dev. Biol. 45: S85 - S86 (2001)

Vol 45, Issue S1

An in vitro model to study adult neurogenesis in mammals

Published: 1 June 2001

MP Martin, LM Rodriguez-Perez, J Bermudez-Silva, N Acosta, PF Llebrez-Zayas, M Cifuentes, P Fernandez-Llebrez

Univ Malaga, Fac Ciencias, Lab Fisiol Anim, E-29071 Malaga, Spain

Abstract

The wall of the lateral ventricle of bovine brains comprised three distinct layers: ependyma, subependyma (SE) and astroglial net. The wall lining white matter had narrow SE and thin, compacted astroglial net. The wall of the striatum and the anterior horn had a wide SE and a thick and slack astroglial net. The ependyma was S-100 positive and, in rostro-lateral regions, it developed basal processes and reactivity to GFAP and vimentin. The SE and the subjacent astroglial net displayed beta3 tubulin small cells and some PCNA positive nuclei. These features suggested that adult neurogenesis takes place in the bovine ventricular walls specially in the striatum and the anterior horn. Explants of the ependyma-SE were cultured in serum free medium. The ependymal cells developed a net of intermingled basal processes that became increasingly GFAP, vimentin and BLBP positive. At the same time SE cells proliferated to produce a population of beta3 tubulin-positive cells. These cells synthesised IGF-1 that acted as a survival factor. These explants represent good models to study adult neurogenesis.

Keywords

Brain, system, cell