Migration and differentiation of cerebral cortical neurons after transplantation into the brains of ferrets.

Cells from the cerebral proliferative zones of newborn ferrets were labeled with tritiated thymidine and a fluorescent dye and were transplanted as a single-cell suspension into the occipital region of newborn ferrets. The transplanted cells became thoroughly integrated into the host environment: many cells migrated through the intermediate zone and into the cortical plate, where they developed as pyramidal neurons. Other transplanted cells came to resemble glial cells. After 1 to 2 months most transplanted neurons had taken up residence in layer 2 + 3, the normal destination of neurons generated on postnatal days 1 and 2. Thus the sequence of morphological differentiation and the eventual laminar position of the isochronically transplanted neurons closely paralleled that of their normal host counterparts.