Abstract
The Purkinje cells (PC's) of the cerebellar cortex are subdivided into multiple different molecular phenotypes that form an elaborate array of parasagittal stripes. This array serves as a scaffold around which afferent topography is organized. The ways in which cerebellar interneurons may be restricted by this scaffolding are less well-understood. This review begins with a brief survey of cerebellar topography. Next, it reviews the development of stripes in the cerebellum with a particular emphasis on the embryological origins of cerebellar interneurons. These data serve as a foundation to discuss the hypothesis that cerebellar compartment boundaries also restrict cerebellar interneurons, both excitatory [granule cells, unipolar brush cells (UBCs)] and inhibitory (e.g., Golgi cells, basket cells). Finally, it is proposed that the same PC scaffold that restricts afferent terminal fields to stripes may also act to organize cerebellar interneurons.
Highlights
The Purkinje cells (PC’s) of the cerebellar cortex are subdivided into multiple different molecular phenotypes that form an elaborate array of parasagittal stripes
The cerebellar cortex is divided into five transverse zones—the anterior zone (AZ: ∼lobules I–V), central zone anterior (CZa: ∼VI), central zone posterior (CZp: ∼VII), posterior zone (PZ: ∼VIII–IX), and nodular zone (NZ: ∼X)
Because we argue that much cerebellar patterning is built around a PC zone and stripe scaffold, we begin with a brief review of the origins of PC zones and stripes [reviewed in Herrup and Kuemerle (1997); Armstrong and Hawkes (2000); Larouche and Hawkes (2006); Sillitoe and Joyner (2007); Apps and Hawkes (2009); Dastjerdi et al (2012); Sillitoe and Hawkes (2013)]
Summary
Reviewed by: Leonard Maler, University of Ottawa, Canada Samuel S. The Purkinje cells (PC’s) of the cerebellar cortex are subdivided into multiple different molecular phenotypes that form an elaborate array of parasagittal stripes. This array serves as a scaffold around which afferent topography is organized. This review begins with a brief survey of cerebellar topography It reviews the development of stripes in the cerebellum with a particular emphasis on the embryological origins of cerebellar interneurons. The implication is that the adult cerebellar cortex of the mouse is highly reproducibly subdivided into several hundred distinct stripes with >10 distinct PC molecular phenotypes (Hawkes, 1997; Apps and Hawkes, 2009). The reproducible association of function with specific stripes presents a potential substrate for function-specific adaptations at Frontiers in Neural Circuits www.frontiersin.org
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call