Abstract
The cerebellum, the region of the brain primarily responsible for motor coordination and balance, also contributes to non-motor functions, such as cognition, speech, and language comprehension. Maldevelopment and dysfunction of the cerebellum lead to cerebellar ataxia and may even be associated with autism, depression, and cognitive deficits. Hence, normal development of the cerebellum and its neuronal circuitry is critical for the cerebellum to function properly. Although nine major types of cerebellar neurons have been identified in the cerebellar cortex to date, the exact functions of each type are not fully understood due to a lack of cell-specific markers in neurons that renders cell-specific labeling and functional study by genetic manipulation unfeasible. The availability of cell-specific markers is thus vital for understanding the role of each neuronal type in the cerebellum and for elucidating the interactions between cell types within both the developing and mature cerebellum. This review discusses various technical approaches and recent progress in the search for cell-specific markers for cerebellar neurons.
Highlights
The cerebellum is the primary brain region responsible for motor coordination and balance
Many cerebellar neurons are required to meet the demand for performing these functions; the cerebellum contains more than 50% of the total number of neurons in the central nervous system (CNS), packed within 10% of the total brain volume [3]
The cerebellar cortex consists of three layers: the outermost molecular layer (ML), the innermost granular layer (GL), and the intermediate Purkinje cell layer (PCL; Figure 1)
Summary
The cerebellum is the primary brain region responsible for motor coordination and balance. Recent studies indicate that the cerebellum contributes to non-motor functions, such as cognition, vision, audition, and language production and comprehension [1,2]. Many cerebellar neurons are required to meet the demand for performing these functions; the cerebellum contains more than 50% of the total number of neurons in the central nervous system (CNS), packed within 10% of the total brain volume [3]. Despite the cerebellum’s high cellular density, cerebellar circuitry is relatively simple compared to that of the cerebral cortex, as the former comprises only a few neuronal cell types in the cerebellar cortex [4,5]
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