DCX and PSA-NCAM expression identifies a population of neurons preferentially distributed in associative areas of different pallial derivatives and vertebrate species.

In adult rodents, doublecortin (DCX) and polysialylated neural cell adhesion molecule (PSA-NCAM) expression is mostly restricted to newly generated neurons. These molecules have also been described in prenatally generated cells of the piriform cortex and, to a lesser extent, neocortex (NC) of the rat. In addition, PSA-NCAM+ cells have been identified in several telencephalic regions of the lizard. Here, through immunohistochemistry and 3-dimensional reconstruction, we have investigated distribution, morphology, and phenotype of DCX/PSA-NCAM-expressing cells in the pallium of different mammals and in lizard. In all species, a population of nonnewly-generated pallial DCX+/PSA-NCAM+ cells shows common morphological and phenotypic characteristics, including expression of Tbr-1, a transcription factor expressed in pallial projection neurons, and preferential distribution in associative areas. In the guinea pig and rabbit, DCX+/PSA-NCAM+ elements are also abundant in the NC, particularly in areas implicated in nonspatial learning and memory networks. In reptiles, DCX+/PSA-NCAM+ cells are located in the lateral and medial cortex and dorsal ventricular ridge but not in the dorsal cortex. These data support the fact that coexpression of DCX+/PSA-NCAM+/Tbr-1+ in the adult brain identifies evolutionary conserved cell populations shared by different pallial derivatives including the mammalian NC.