The Long Journey of Pontine Nuclei Neurons: From Rhombic Lip to Cortico-Ponto-Cerebellar Circuitry

Autor: Claudius F. Kratochwil, Upasana Maheshwari, Filippo M. Rijli
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2017
Předmět:
Zdroj: Frontiers in Neural Circuits, Vol 11 (2017)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 1662-5110
DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2017.00033
Popis: The pontine nuclei (PN) are the largest of the precerebellar nuclei, neuronal assemblies in the hindbrain providing principal input to the cerebellum. The PN are predominantly innervated by the cerebral cortex and project as mossy fibers to the cerebellar hemispheres. Here, we comprehensively review the development of the PN from specification to migration, nucleogenesis and circuit formation. PN neurons originate at the posterior rhombic lip and migrate tangentially crossing several rhombomere derived territories to reach their final position in ventral part of the pons. The developing PN provide a classical example of tangential neuronal migration and a study system for understanding its molecular underpinnings. We anticipate that understanding the mechanisms of PN migration and assembly will also permit a deeper understanding of the molecular and cellular basis of cortico-cerebellar circuit formation and function.
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