The subventricular zone en-face: wholemount staining and ependymal flow

Document Type

Article

Abstract

The walls of the lateral ventricles contain the largest germinal region in the adult mammalian brain. The subventricular zone (SVZ) in these walls is an extensively studied model system for understanding the behavior of neural stem cells and the regulation of adult neurogenesis. Traditionally, these studies have relied on classical sectioning techniques for histological analysis. Here we present an alternative approach, the wholemount technique, which provides a comprehensive, en-face view of this germinal region. Compared to sections, wholemounts preserve the complete cytoarchitecture and cellular relationships within the SVZ. This approach has recently revealed that the adult neural stem cells, or type B1 cells, are part of a mixed neuroepithelium with differentiated ependymal cells lining the lateral ventricles. In addition, this approach has been used to study the planar polarization of ependymal cells and the cerebrospinal fluid flow they generate in the ventricle. With recent evidence that adult neural stem cells are a heterogeneous population that is regionally specified, the wholemount approach will likely be an essential tool for understanding the organization and parcellation of this stem cell niche.

Medical Subject Headings

Animals; Dissection (methods); Ependyma (physiology); Fluorescent Dyes (chemistry); Lateral Ventricles (physiology); Mammals; Microspheres; Neurons (physiology); Staining and Labeling (methods); Tissue Fixation (methods)

Publication Date

5-6-2010

Publication Title

Journal of visualized experiments : JoVE

E-ISSN

1940-087X

Issue

39

PubMed ID

20461052

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.3791/1938

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