Published in Cerebral Cortex
Cajal–Retzius (CR) cells are essential for cortical development and lamination. These pioneer neurons arise from distinct progenitor sources, including the cortical hem and the ventral pallium at pallium–subpallium boundary (PSB). CXCR4, the canonical receptor for the chemokine CXCL12, controls the superficial location of hem-derived CR cells. Howe...
Published in Cerebral Cortex
Loss of neurons in the neocortex is generally thought to result in a final reduction of cerebral volume. Yet, little is known on how the developing cerebral cortex copes with death of early-born neurons. Here, we tackled this issue by taking advantage of a transgenic mouse model in which, from early embryonic stages to mid-corticogenesis, abundant ...
Published in Cerebral Cortex
Early brain development is regulated by the coordinated actions of multiple signaling centers at key boundaries between compartments. Three telencephalic midline structures are in a position to play such roles in forebrain patterning: The cortical hem, the septum, and the thalamic eminence at the diencephalic-telencephalic boundary. These structure...
Published in Cerebral Cortex
Type I lissencephaly is a cortical malformation disorder characterized by disorganized cortical layers and gyral abnormalities and associated with severe cognitive impairment and epilepsy. The exact pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the epilepsy and mental retardation in this and related disorders remain unknown. Two genes, LIS1 and doubleco...
Published in Cerebral Cortex
To gain new insights into the transcriptional regulation of cortical development, we examined the role of the transcription factor Sp8, which is downstream of Fgf8 signaling and known to promote rostral cortical development. We have used a binary transgenic system to express Sp8 throughout the mouse telencephalon in a temporally restricted manner. ...
