Abstract
ABSTRACTXenopus laevis is a prominent model system for studying neural development, but our understanding of the long-term temporal dynamics of neurogenesis remains incomplete. Here, we present the first continuous description of neurogenesis in X. laevis, covering the entire period of development from the specification of neural ectoderm during gastrulation to juvenile frog. We have used molecular markers to identify progenitors and neurons, short-term bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation to map the generation of newborn neurons and dual pulse S-phase labelling to characterise changes in their cell cycle length. Our study revealed the persistence of Sox3-positive progenitor cells from the earliest stages of neural development through to the juvenile adult. Two periods of intense neuronal generation were observed, confirming the existence of primary and secondary waves of neurogenesis, punctuated by a period of quiescence before metamorphosis and culminating in another period of quiescence in the young adult. Analysis of multiple parameters indicates that neural progenitors alternate between global phases of differentiation and amplification and that, regardless of their behaviour, their cell cycle lengthens monotonically during development, at least at the population level.
Highlights
Neurogenesis refers to the generation of post-mitotic neurons and glia from dividing progenitor cells, and it is a process necessary for the establishment of a functional central nervous system (CNS)
Sox3+ neural progenitors are maintained throughout Xenopus life We studied a long period of development, covering almost 2 months (Fig. 1A, Fig. S1D) starting from mid-gastrula [Nieuwkoop and Faber stage (NF)10.5] to juvenile stage (NF66, Fig. 1A)
To facilitate comparison between developmental stages, we focused on one area of the CNS
Summary
Neurogenesis refers to the generation of post-mitotic neurons and glia from dividing progenitor cells, and it is a process necessary for the establishment of a functional central nervous system (CNS). Neurogenesis starts very early in the formation of an organism and the exact phylotypic stage may vary between species, the first neurons generally appear after gastrulation at, or around, the time of neural tube closure. *Present address: Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CEA, CNRS UMR9198, Université Paris-Sud, Avenue de la Terrasse, Gif-sur-Yvette 91198, Cedex, France.
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