PSmad3+/Olig2- expression defines a subpopulation of GFP+/Sox9+ neural progenitors and radial glia-like cells in mouse dentate gyrus through embryonic and postnatal development.

In mouse dentate gyrus, radial glia-like cells (RGLs) persist throughout life and play a critical role in the generation of granule neurons. A large body of evidence has shown that the combinatorial expression of transcription factors (TFs) defines cell types in the developing central nervous system (CNS). As yet, the identification of specific TFs that exclusively define RGLs in the developing mouse dentate gyrus (DG) remains elusive.

Correction to: Dentate granule progenitor cell properties are rapidly altered soon after birth.

In the original publication figure parts 8c, 8f, and 8i were mixed up and thus incorrectly labeled. Here is a corrected version with the parts properly labeled.

Dentate granule progenitor cell properties are rapidly altered soon after birth.

Neurogenesis occurs during the embryonic period and ceases soon after birth in the neocortex, but continues to occur in the hippocampus even in the adult. The embryonic neocortex has radial glia or progenitor cells expressing brain lipid-binding protein (BLBP), whereas the adult hippocampus has radial granule progenitor cells expressing BLBP and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in the subgranular zone. We previously found that embryonic hippocampal granule progenitor cells express GFAP, but not BLBP, indicating that these cells are different from both embryonic neocortical and adult granule progenitor cells.

Seizure severity-dependent selective vulnerability of the granule cell layer and aberrant neurogenesis in the rat hippocampus.

The pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus rodent model has been commonly used to analyze the mechanisms of human temporal lobe epilepsy. Recent studies using this model have demonstrated that epileptic seizures lead to increased adult neurogenesis of the dentate granule cells, and cause abnormal cellular organization in dentate neuronal circuits. In this study, we examined these structural changes in rats with seizures of varying severity.

Distinctive population of Gfap-expressing neural progenitors arising around the dentate notch migrate and form the granule cell layer in the developing hippocampus.

In the adult hippocampus, granule cells continue to be generated from astrocyte-like progenitors expressing glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) that differ from embryonic neocortical progenitors. However, during the embryonic period, dentate granule neurons and neocortical pyramidal neurons are derived from the ventricular zone (VZ) of the pallium. Our question is when do GFAP+ progenitors of granule neurons appear in the developing hippocampus during the embryonic period, and how do they form the granule cell layer.