Persistence of Cajal-Retzius cells in the postnatal hippocampus is required for development of dendritic spines of CA1 pyramidal cells

Abstract

Cajal-Retzius (CR) cells are a transient type of neuron that populate the postnatal hippocampus. The role of transient cell types and circuits have been vastly addressed in neocortical regions, but poorly studied in the hippocampus. To understand how CR cells persistence influences the maturation of hippocampal circuits, we specifically ablated CR cells from the postnatal hippocampus. Our results highlighted layer-specific effects on dendritic spines and synaptic-related genes and revealed a critical role of CR cells in the establishment of the hippocampal network.