Cell Proliferation Without Neurogenesis in Adult Primate Neocortex
David R. Kornack,12
Pasko Rakic1*
A recent assertion that new neurons are continually added to the
neocortex of adult macaque monkeys has profound implications for
understanding the cellular mechanisms of higher cognitive functions.
Here we searched for neurogenesis in adult macaques by using
immunofluorescent triple labeling for the DNA-replication indicator,
bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU), and neuronal and glial cell markers. Although
numerous BrdU-labeled cells were distributed throughout the cerebral
wall, including the neocortex, these were identified as nonneuronal
cells; evidence for newly generated neurons was limited to the
hippocampus and olfactory bulb. Thus, our results do not substantiate
the claim of neurogenesis in normal adult primate neocortex.
1 Department of Neurobiology, Yale University
School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
2 Center for Aging and Developmental Biology,
Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Rochester Medical
Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA.
*
To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail:
pasko.rakic{at}yale.edu
