Studies on corticogenesis have provided evidence for different modes of neuronal migration
[49],
[50]. Besides somal translocation cortical neurons can use a glia-guided mode of migration to govern the increasing distance from the germinal ventricular zone to their definitive positions in the cortical plate
[51]. This way, the layers of the cortex are formed in an inside-out manner
[1],
[52]. Since aberrant migration of glia-guided neurons has been reported in ApoER2 mutant mice a key role for ApoER2 in this process has been proposed
[44].
Similar to cortical lamination layer formation in the OB takes place chronologically. First mitral cells as principal projection neurons are generated and provide a local Reelin source
[6]. Subsequently, interneurons follow in a sequential order
[2]. The calbindin positive subpopulations represent early generated interneurons. The majority of these interneurons originate from late embryogenesis and there is a marked decline in their generation immediately post-partum. In contrast, only few of the Calretinin-positive interneurons are produced embryonically, while the majority is produced after birth. Turnover of late-generated interneurons persists throughout adulthood
[2],
[6].
In analogy to cortical neuronal migration, glia-guided migration has been postulated for OB layer formation
[53]. The data of our study are consistent with this idea. The aforementioned rapid decrease in glia is coincident with the timeframe of generation of Calbindin positive interneurons
[2]. In the ApoER2 mutants but not the Vldlr mutant mice migration of the early generated Calbindin-positive subpopulations is disturbed similar to
reeler and
dab−/− mutants. Furthermore, we found that also early born TH-positive interneurons show migration defects in ApoER2 and ApoER2:Vldlr double receptor knock-out animals but not in Vldlr mutants. In accordance, two other observations are substantiating the idea that Reelin-ApoER2 signaling regulates early postnatal interneuron migration. Firstly, double-receptor-knockout mice exhibit the same misplacement of early born interneurons. Secondly, interneurons expressing Calretinin exhibit a strong phenotype in
ApoER2−/− animals similar to
reeler mice at early postnatal stages. However, this phenotype declines with development and adult animals show only minor alterations in the Calretinin population compared to wild type animals. These defects are not seen in
Vldlr−/− mutants. Thus, our data support the model that ApoER2 signaling is involved in early Vldlr-independent migration, most likely glia guided
[53]. Since we were unable to find obvious changes in the radial glial scaffold we assume that the interaction of the migrating neuron with the radial fiber is altered similar to the situation seen in the developing cortex in a yet unknown way
[53].
A previous report claimed the absence of VLDLR protein in the mouse OB by immunohistochemical analysis
[54]. In contrast, we identified expression of Vldlr protein by Western immunoblotting in the OB of adult mice and furthermore by RT-PCR and
in situ hybridization studies in postnatal and adult animals. Based on these findings we concluded the presence of Vldlr in the postnatal and adult mouse OB. Therefore, compensatory mechanisms mediated by Vldlr in adult
ApoER2−/− animals could be responsible for the decline and adjustment of the Calretinin phenotype. This idea is underlined by the fact that in adult ApoER2:Vldlr double knock out animals no compensation but a
reeler-like phenotype can be observed within the Calretinin population of the GCL. Interestingly, we did not find defects in the migration of Parvalbumin positive interneurons in any of our mutant animals. Since the majority of this population shows migration after Calbindin- but before Calretinin-positive interneurons we assume that this population migrates independent of the Reelin signaling cascade. Similarly, Tbr1- and Reelin-positive mitral cells. These principle neurons are already present at prenatal stages (E13) and likely migrate in a Reelin-independent fashion.
Late generated Calretinin-positive interneurons are continuously replaced throughout adulthood. Detachment of chain migrating neuroblasts from the rostral migratory stream is accompanied by the induction of a leading process, which directs radial individual migration of Calretinin positive interneurons towards their final destination
[19]. Here, Reelin has been shown to function as detachment factor
[36] either by acting on the interaction between radial processes and migrating neurons or on the interaction between apposing cells in chain migration
[19]. However, we show that in vitro the Reelin detachment signal for neuroblasts is mediated by ApoER2. Absence of Vldlr and surprisingly also the intracellular adapter protein Dab1 did not influence the detachment process. To analyze whether these findings are also seen in vivo we analyzed first the presence and the functional integrity of the RMS in all our mutants. We found that all adult mutant strains have an RMS and showed BrdU-positive cells within the OB 16 day after peritoneal injection of BrdU. Hence, neuroblasts derived from the SVZ arrive and integrate in the OB of mutant mice arguing for the presence of a functional RMS. Although ApoER2, Vldlr and Dab1 are expressed within the RMS, canonical Reelin signaling seems not to be pivotal for RMS function
[40]. However, our immunohistochemical results revealed a disruption of the GCL morphology in
ApoER2−/−,
reeler and double receptor knockout mice one week after birth. Since Vldlr
−/− animals do not show this phenotype at early postnatal stages these data support our
in vitro results that ApoER2 regulates migration of Calretinin-positive neurons. Furthermore, in adult
reeler and double receptor knockout mice, PSA-NCAM positive neuroblasts do not possess a leading process, a prerequisite for correct migration. Moreover, most cells lose their radial orientation and accumulate in clusters. However, with advancing age the migration defect of Calretinin-positive interneurons in ApoER2 mutants attenuates and we observed correct detachment of precursor cells in adult
ApoER2−/− and Vldlr
−/− mice including leading process induction. Thus, we propose redundant function for Vldlr and ApoER2 in the late postnatal and adult OB. The following aspects point towards this. Firstly, the expression pattern of Vldlr changes. While the RMS of early postnatal animals is
Vldlr negative, migrating neuroblasts in the adult OB express
Vldlr mRNA. Secondly, the
Vldlr expression level increases within the critical time between P7 and P14. Thirdly, the disruption of GCL morphology persists in double receptor knockout mice, which resembles the
reeler phenotype.
Dab1
−/− mutant mice do not exhibit a detachment phenotype in our
in vitro model. Furthermore,
in vivo, the detachment process appears to be only slightly impaired similar to the formation of the GCL. Although BrdU incorporation in outer layers of the OB was affected in Dab1
−/− animals, no effect was observed in the core region in the vicinity of the RMS. However, although the loss of Dab1 could affect neuronal migration in a non-cell autonomous way since Dab1 is also expressed by glia
[55], our results suggest also for a compensatory mechanism for Dab1 downstream of the lipoprotein receptors. Therefore, we analyzed the expression of candidate molecules and found Crmp1 as being very similar expressed in the adult forebrain as Dab1. Similar to Dab1, Crmp1 has been described as an intracellular signaling mediator of Reelin during corticogenesis
[48]. Based on its expression, Crmp1 could also play a role in mediating Reelin signaling in the OB and therefore being a candidate molecule responsible for the mild phenotypes seen in Dab1 mutant animals in the OB. However, future studies will be required to clarify this hypothesis.
Canonical Reelin and lipoprotein receptor signaling appear to be highly redundant and compensatory mechanisms seem to account for partially contradictionary results obtained in studies using knock-out animal models (see e.g. study by Andrade et al.
[40] and the presented data). Therefore, it might be important for future studies to emphasize genetic background variations in individual mouse strains when comparing different mutant animals since background variations are known to influence redundant signaling pathways.