Immunohistochemical demonstration of an organized cytoarchitecture of the radial glia in the CNS of the embryonic mouse.

Immunocytochemical staining using antivimentin and anti-glial fibrillary acidic protein sera on nervous tissue sections shows a well-organized pattern of radial glial fibers as early as 15 days in the embryonic mouse. The glial fibers, isolated or in fascicles, form parallel palisades in rectilinear and longitudinal alignment in the spinal cord, medulla and pons. Certain areas show a double system of palisades, perpendicular to each other. The architecture is more complex at the cerebral level. There is a close relationship between the tracks followed by the axon bundles and the pattern of the glial palisades. The fibers have a helical structure, often with a very regular periodicity. The functional implications of the location and structure of the radial fibers during ontogenesis are discussed.