Figure 5

Perlecan deficiency increases the cortical progenitor pool. (A-D) Immunostaining for PCNA, a cell cycle marker, in coronal sections of wild-type (A, C) and perlecan-null (B, D) telencephalon at E17.5, Nissl counterstaining. Boxes in (A) and (B) are enlarged in (C) and (D) panels, respectively. (E-H) Nestin expression in coronal sections of wild-type (E, G) and perlecan-null embryos (F, H) at E14.5 (E, F) and E17.5 (G, H). At E14.5, the processes of nestin⁺ radial glia cells in the marginal zone reach up the pial surface. Note the normal disposition of radial glia endfeet below the basal lamina (BL) in the perlecan-null embryo (F) and in the wild-type (E). Note the marked increase in immunostaining intensity of radial glia in the mutant at both ages. Abbreviations: HIP, hippocampus; nCTX, neocortex; Th, thalamus. Scale bars: 100 μm (A, B), 20 μm (C, D), 30 μm (E, F), 50 μm (G, H).