Nalysis. Fine lineage analysis andfurther functional analysis is necessary to determine the roles of CD44 in the developing cerebellum. The expression of CD44 in OPCs was transient and disappeared from immature oligodendrocytes (Fig. 7). The peak of OPC proliferation in cerebellum is around P4, and the number of OPCs increases until P7 [40]. Mature oligodendrocytes, identified 
by expression of CC1 and MBP, first appear at P6 [40]. In light of the developmental time course of OPCs, theCD44 Expression in Developing CerebellumFigure 6. CD44 expression in astrocyte-lineage cells during postnatal development. A : Double immunostaining of CD44 and GLAST in the cerebellum at P3 (A ) and P7 (D ). G : High magnification of D . J : Double immunostaining of CD44 and GFAP in the mouse cerebellum at P3 (J ) and P7 (M ), and at P14 in the Purkinje cell layer (P ) and white matter (S ). Nucleus was counterstained with TO-PRO-3 (blue). V: Quantitative analysis of the number of CD44-positive astrocyte-lineage cells by FACS at P3, P7 and P10. *p,0.05, **p,0.005. Scale bars, 50 mm. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0053109.greduction in the number of CD44-positive cells expressing OPC during development suggested that CD44 expression disappeared from OPCs. Thus, the elimination of CD44 from OPCs may have synchronized the switching from proliferation to differentiation of OPCs, suggesting that CD44 inhibits oligodendrocyte differentiation. Consistent with this 1655472 idea, it was reported that CI-1011 web CNP-CD44 transgenic mice with overexpression of CD44 in glial progenitors had decreased oligodendrocyte maturation and increased number of astrocytes in the cortex [20]. In addition, hyaluronic acid accumulated in inflammatory demyelinating lesions and inhibited OPC maturation in vitro [41]. It has been hypothesized that CD44 elimination in OPCs might be essential for oligodendrocyte differentiation. We, for the first time, revealed that CD44 is expressed in OPCs for a very short time (Fig. 7); the method we used might be a good tool for the analysis of how OPCs mature in the developing cerebellum. Strong CD44 expression was observed in immature Purkinje neurons (Fig. 8), and CD44 disappeared from Purkinje neuronsafter their maturation, similar to its disappearance from Bergmann glia and fibrous astrocytes. The rhombic lip, which generates granule neurons, had less expression of CD44, and granule neurons in the GL at P7 expressed CD44 very weakly. However, granule neurons at the adult stage showed strong expression of CD44, consistent with a previous report of CD44 expression in subsets of NeuN-positive neuronal-lineage cells at the adult stage [30]. These results suggest that CD44 might have different roles in Purkinje neurons and granule neurons. It is possible that CD44 might regulate the development of immature Purkinje neurons and purchase Homotaurine circuitry functions of granule neurons. Granule neurons express CD44 
strongly in the adult, so CD44 might be required for glutamatergic transmissions. Although little is known about the role of CD44 in neuronal functions, it was reported that CD44 limited axonal sprouting induced by kainic acid in the hippocampus [42]. In this study, we show that the expression of CD44 was widespread in undifferentiated progenitor cells at embryonic stagesCD44 Expression in Developing CerebellumFigure 7. CD44 expression in oligodendrocyte-lineage cells during postnatal development. A : Double immunostaining of CD44 and Olig2 in the cerebellum at P3 (A ) and P7 (D ). G.Nalysis. Fine lineage analysis andfurther functional analysis is necessary to determine the roles of CD44 in the developing cerebellum. The expression of CD44 in OPCs was transient and disappeared from immature oligodendrocytes (Fig. 7). The peak of OPC proliferation in cerebellum is around P4, and the number of OPCs increases until P7 [40]. Mature oligodendrocytes, identified by expression of CC1 and MBP, first appear at P6 [40]. In light of the developmental time course of OPCs, theCD44 Expression in Developing CerebellumFigure 6. CD44 expression in astrocyte-lineage cells during postnatal development. A : Double immunostaining of CD44 and GLAST in the cerebellum at P3 (A ) and P7 (D ). G : High magnification of D . J : Double immunostaining of CD44 and GFAP in the mouse cerebellum at P3 (J ) and P7 (M ), and at P14 in the Purkinje cell layer (P ) and white matter (S ). Nucleus was counterstained with TO-PRO-3 (blue). V: Quantitative analysis of the number of CD44-positive astrocyte-lineage cells by FACS at P3, P7 and P10. *p,0.05, **p,0.005. Scale bars, 50 mm. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0053109.greduction in the number of CD44-positive cells expressing OPC during development suggested that CD44 expression disappeared from OPCs. Thus, the elimination of CD44 from OPCs may have synchronized the switching from proliferation to differentiation of OPCs, suggesting that CD44 inhibits oligodendrocyte differentiation. Consistent with this 1655472 idea, it was reported that CNP-CD44 transgenic mice with overexpression of CD44 in glial progenitors had decreased oligodendrocyte maturation and increased number of astrocytes in the cortex [20]. In addition, hyaluronic acid accumulated in inflammatory demyelinating lesions and inhibited OPC maturation in vitro [41]. It has been hypothesized that CD44 elimination in OPCs might be essential for oligodendrocyte differentiation. We, for the first time, revealed that CD44 is expressed in OPCs for a very short time (Fig. 7); the method we used might be a good tool for the analysis of how OPCs mature in the developing cerebellum. Strong CD44 expression was observed in immature Purkinje neurons (Fig. 8), and CD44 disappeared from Purkinje neuronsafter their maturation, similar to its disappearance from Bergmann glia and fibrous astrocytes. The rhombic lip, which generates granule neurons, had less expression of CD44, and granule neurons in the GL at P7 expressed CD44 very weakly. However, granule neurons at the adult stage showed strong expression of CD44, consistent with a previous report of CD44 expression in subsets of NeuN-positive neuronal-lineage cells at the adult stage [30]. These results suggest that CD44 might have different roles in Purkinje neurons and granule neurons. It is possible that CD44 might regulate the development of immature Purkinje neurons and circuitry functions of granule neurons. Granule neurons express CD44 strongly in the adult, so CD44 might be required for glutamatergic transmissions. Although little is known about the role of CD44 in neuronal functions, it was reported that CD44 limited axonal sprouting induced by kainic acid in the hippocampus [42]. In this study, we show that the expression of CD44 was widespread in undifferentiated progenitor cells at embryonic stagesCD44 Expression in Developing CerebellumFigure 7. CD44 expression in oligodendrocyte-lineage cells during postnatal development. A : Double immunostaining of CD44 and Olig2 in the cerebellum at P3 (A ) and P7 (D ). G.
