Cellular Mechanisms Involved in Cerebellar Microzonation

In the last 50 years, our vision of cerebellum has vastly evolved starting with Voogd’s (1967) description extracerebellar projections’ terminations and how projection maps transformed presumptive homogeneity cerebellar cortex into a more complex center subdivided transverse longitudinal distinct functional zones. The picture became still Richard Hawkes colleagues’ (Gravel et al., 1987) discovery biochemical heterogeneity Purkinje cells (PCs), by screening their molecular identities monoclonal antibodies. Antigens were expressed in parasagittal pattern subsets PCs either possessing or lacking respective antigens, which divided precise compartments that are congruent maps. correlation these two adult shows perfect matching developmental mechanisms. This review discusses series arguments favor essential role played organizing microzonation during development (the “matching” hypothesis).