Radial glial cells: Key organisers in CNS development

Radial glia are elongated bipolar cells present in the CNS during development. Our understanding of the unique roles these cells play has significantly expanded in the last decade. Historically, radial glial cells were primarily thought to provide an architectural framework for neuronal migration. R...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The international journal of biochemistry & cell biology 2014-01, Vol.46, p.76-79
Main Authors: Barry, Denis S., Pakan, Janelle M.P., McDermott, Kieran W.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adults
Animals
Biochemistry
Biology
Brain
Cell Differentiation - physiology
Central Nervous System - embryology
Central Nervous System - growth & development
Elongation
Glioma
Heterogeneity
Humans
Migration
Neurodevelopment
Neuroglia - physiology
Neuronal migration
Neurons - physiology
Radial glia
Spinal cord
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Summary:Radial glia are elongated bipolar cells present in the CNS during development. Our understanding of the unique roles these cells play has significantly expanded in the last decade. Historically, radial glial cells were primarily thought to provide an architectural framework for neuronal migration. Recent research reveals that radial glia play a more dynamic and integrated role in the development of the brain and spinal cord. They represent a major progenitor pool during early development and can give rise to a small population of multipotent cells in neurogenic niches of the adult CNS. Radial glial cells are a heterogeneous population, with divergent and often poorly understood roles across different brain and spinal cord regions during development; this heterogeneity extends to specialised adult subtypes, such as tanycytes, Müller glial cells and Bergman glial cells which possess morphological similarities to radial glial but play distinct functional roles in the CNS.
ISSN:1357-2725
1878-5875
DOI:10.1016/j.biocel.2013.11.013