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The centennial of the Cajal body

Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology volume 4, pages 975–980 (2003)Cite this article

Abstract

Exactly 100 years ago, the Spanish neurobiologist Santiago Ramón 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.

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Figure 1: Ramón y Cajal.
Figure 2: An original drawing by Ramón y Cajal.
Figure 3: Large and small Cajal bodies.

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Acknowledgements

I thank G. Matera for helpful comments. Original studies by J.G.G. that are described here were supported by a grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, USA.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. the Department of Embryology, Carnegie Institution of Washington, 115 West University Parkway, Baltimore, 21210, Maryland, USA

    Joseph G. Gall

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  1. Joseph G. Gall
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Related links

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DATABASES

LocusLink

SMN1

OMIM

Spinal muscular atrophy

Swiss-Prot

fibrillarin

p80-coilin

SMN

FURTHER INFORMATION

Santiago Ramón y Cajal — Nobel lecture

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Gall, J. The centennial of the Cajal body. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 4, 975–980 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrm1262

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