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First published online 5 October 2005
doi: 10.1242/dev.02033
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1 Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, University College London,
London WC1E 6BT, UK
2 Department of Endocrinology, Centre of Excellence on Neurodegenerative
Diseases, University of Milan, 20133 Milan, Italy
3 Developmental Neurobiology Unit, University of Louvain Medical School, B1200
Brussels, Belgium
* Author for correspondence (e-mail: j.parnavelas{at}ucl.ac.uk)
Accepted 9 August 2005
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons, a small number of cells scattered in the hypothalamic region of the basal forebrain, play an important role in reproductive function. These cells originate in the olfactory placode and migrate into the basal forebrain in late embryonic life. Here, we show that reelin, which is expressed along the route of the migrating cells, has an inhibitory role in guiding GnRH neurons to the basal forebrain. Only a small (approximately 5%) subpopulation of these neurons expresses one of the reelin receptors (ApoER2/Lrp8), and all GnRH neurons appear to lack the intracellular adaptor protein Dab1, suggesting that the function of reelin is not mediated by the conventional signal transduction pathway. The importance of reelin in the establishment of GnRH neurons in the hypothalamus was confirmed by our finding that the brains of developing and adult reeler mice of both sexes contained a markedly reduced number of these neuroendocrine neurons. Furthermore, the testes of adult males showed dilation of seminiferous tubules and reduction in their density when compared with controls. Mutants lacking the reelin receptors ApoER2 and Vldlr, and scrambler mice lacking Dab1, showed a normal complement of GnRH neurons in the hypothalamus, confirming that the effect of reelin in their migration is independent of Dab1.
Key words: GnRH neurons, Migration, Reelin
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