Morphogenetic Mechanisms Generating Cell Fates in the Cerebellum

Abstract

The cerebellum has been studied for decades because of its simple three-layered cortex, yet complex connectivity. Although historically the cerebellum was thought to only be involved in motor functions, recent evidence has highlighted its involvement in non-motor functions, including in cognition and emotional regulation. The cerebellum is unique among brain regions as it arises from an area rich in patterning activity called the Rhombic Lip (RP), a germinal zone of the developing hindbrain. How cells of this region become increasingly restricted in their potential to give rise to the different cell types of the cerebellum is an active area of investigation. We describe a role for the transcription factor Cux2 in mainly specifying granule cell fates, and use genetic tools to image granule cell movement revealing the dynamic morphogenic events that shape the unique anatomy of the cerebellum. These findings support the view that the granule cell precursor pool is subdivided into distinct domains, the function of which remains unclear. Support or Funding Information Canadian Institutes of Health Research (MOP-115150) Fate map of Cux2-expressing granule cells (red) in the anterior folia of the cerebellum. This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.