CELL-MIGRATION AND SUBPLATE LOSS IN EXPLANT CULTURES OF MURINE CEREBRAL-CORTEX

WE studied whether cortical cells migrate and subplate cells are lost in explants of murine cortex cultured for up to 14 days in defined ser um-free medium. We gave bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) to mice on embryonic day 12-13 (E12-13), to label subplate cells, or E17, to label cells de stined for superficial cortical layers. We started culturing on E18-20 . We left some mice to develop and provide in vivo data. At E18-20, mo st cells born on E17 lay below the cortical plate. During the followin g days in vitro, many of them moved to the cortical plate's superficia l edge, although an abnormally high number remained in the ventricular zone. There was a selective loss of BrdU labelled cells from the subp late in culture; this occurred more rapidly than in vivo. Factors abse nt from our cultures may normally enhance migration and prolong the su rvival of subplate cells.