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Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology 4, 975–980 (1 December 2003) | doi:10.1038/nrm1262

The centennial of the Cajal body

Joseph G. Gall

Exactly 100 years ago, the Spanish neurobiologist Santiago Ram|[oacute]|n y Cajal described a new organelle in the nuclei of vertebrate neurons. Now called the Cajal body, this organelle occurs in many cell types in a wide variety of animals and plants. Recent studies indicate that the Cajal body has numerous roles in the assembly and/or modification of the nuclear-transcription and RNA-processing machinery.