Abstract
The cerebral cortex is patterned into layers that contain neurons with characteristic morphologies, projection patterns and common cell ‘birthdays’. Transplantation studies of the developmental potential of cortical progenitor cells have revealed that these precursors are multipotent, heterochronic transplantation of cells taken early in the cell cycle yields postmitotic daughters that change their normal laminar fates. This result suggests that temporally regulated environmental cues influence the development of multipotent progenitors. Just before their final mitosis and well before initiating their migration into the cortex, young neurons make a commitment to the laminar identity typical of their birthday. Development involves a progressive series of decisions that restrict a cell's developmental potential; although the laminar identity of a neuron is specified at the time the cell is born, area-specific fates are malleable long afterwards.
Published Version
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