Numerical matching in the mammalian CNS: lack of a competitive advantage of early over late-generated cerebellar granule cells.

In this report we use postnatal 3H-thymidine injections to test whether granule cells that are generated early in postnatal cerebellar development and whose axons have access to their Purkinje cell target beginning in the first postnatal week have an advantage over granule cells generated 9 days later in the competition for target-related stabilization. In the wild-type mouse, 3-5% of the adult granule cell population is labeled by injection of 3H-thymidine at either postnatal day 4 (P4) or P13. In the lurcher mutant, however, over 40% of the surviving granule cells are labeled by P4 injection while less than 1% are labeled after a P13 injection. Together, these results suggest that time of target contact is a critical factor in the competition for neuronal survival. The results from the lurcher chimeras, however, reveal that the situation is likely to be more complicated. In all chimeras examined, with target sizes ranging from 3 to 108% of wild type, equivalent numbers of granule cells were labeled at P4 and P13. These data lead to the contradictory conclusion that, in this experimental situation, early generated granule cells do not have a competitive advantage over later-generated granule cells. The results are discussed in terms of various models of target stabilization. We propose that, of the various hypotheses, our results are best explained by postulating two distinct mechanisms for developmental cell death. Supporting evidence for this hypothesis from other neuronal systems is also briefly reviewed.