Parasagittal organization of the embryonic cerebellum

The cerebellar cortex of many vertebrate embryos shows a striking parasagittal compartmentation that is reflected in the expression of various types of molecules. These molecules are thought to play an important role in the establishment of functional connectivity in the developing cerebellum (1,2,3). They include gene regulatory proteins (En, Wnt, Pax, Gli family members), adhesion molecules (e.g., cadherins) and other proteins (e.g., zebrin, ephrins and Eph receptors). Cerebellar compartments are especially prominent in the developing cortex where distinct domains of Purkinje cells are separated by thin „raphe…