Abstract

The brain ventricles are interconnected, elaborate cavities that traverse the brain. They are filled with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) that is, to a large part, produced by the choroid plexus, a secretory epithelium that reaches into the ventricles. CSF is rich in cytokines, growth factors and extracellular vesicles that glide along the walls of ventricles, powered by bundles of motile cilia that coat the ventricular wall. We review the cellular and biochemical properties of the ventral part of the third ventricle that is surrounded by the hypothalamus. In particular, we consider the recently discovered intricate network of cilia-driven flows that characterize this ventricle and discuss the potential physiological significance of this flow for the directional transport of CSF signals to cellular targets located either within the third ventricle or in the adjacent hypothalamic brain parenchyma. Cilia-driven streams of signalling molecules offer an exciting perspective on how fluid-borne signals are dynamically transmitted in the brain.This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue ‘Unity and diversity of cilia in locomotion and transport’.

Highlights

  • Greek physicians already knew about the liquor-filled delicate cavities inside the human brain and considered them as the seat of mental capacity, including cognition, memory, awareness and imagination

  • The brain ventricles are interconnected, elaborate cavities that traverse the brain. They are filled with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) that is, to a large part, produced by the choroid plexus, a secretory epithelium that reaches into the ventricles

  • We review the cellular and biochemical properties of the ventral part of the third ventricle that is surrounded by the hypothalamus

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Summary

Introduction

Greek physicians already knew about the liquor-filled delicate cavities (the ‘ventricles’) inside the human brain and considered them as the seat of mental capacity, including cognition, memory, awareness and imagination. Modern neurobiology places mental functions right into the dense tissue of the brain composed of neurons, nerve fibres and glia cells. Contemporary neurobiologists view the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-filled ventricles as dynamic reservoirs of signalling substances and nutrients that can reach neurons, glia cells and stem cells (figure 1). This way of looking at ventricles leads to a host of questions. With regard to the last question, Faubel et al [2] have identified a cilia-propelled network of CSF streams that run along the walls of the ventricle These streams may transport factors in CSF to particular ependymal or subependymal tissue regions.

Brain ventricles
Cellular constituents of ependyma
Fluid dynamics
Outlook
46. Balusu S et al 2016 Identification of a novel
33. Luga V et al 2012 Exosomes mediate stromal
48. Thery C et al 2018 Minimal information for studies
Full Text
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