Abstract
The neocortex is a laminated brain structure that is the seat of higher cognitive capacity and responses, long-term memory, sensory and emotional functions, and voluntary motor behavior. Proper lamination requires that progenitor cells give rise to a neuron, that the immature neuron can migrate away from its mother cell and past other cells, and finally that the immature neuron can take its place and adopt a mature identity characterized by connectivity and gene expression; thus lamination proceeds through three steps: genesis, migration, and maturation. Each neocortical layer contains pyramidal neurons that share specific morphological and molecular characteristics that stem from their prenatal birth date. Transcription factors are dynamic proteins because of the cohort of downstream factors that they regulate. RNA-binding proteins are no less dynamic, and play important roles in every step of mRNA processing. Indeed, recent screens have uncovered post-transcriptional mechanisms as being integral regulatory mechanisms to neocortical development. Here, we summarize major aspects of neocortical laminar development, emphasizing transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms, with the aim of spurring increased understanding and study of its intricacies.
Highlights
The neocortex is laminated brain structure that coordinates our cognitive capacities and responses, long-term memory, sensory and emotional functions, and voluntary motor behavior (Rakic, 2009; Figure 1)
Pyramidal neurons are born from their progenitors in the dorsal pallium within the proliferative layers named the ventricular zone (VZ) and subventricular zone (SVZ)
This is most apparent when progenitors and their progeny were observed at E17; only neurons close to the pial surface are labeled by thymidine showing that active progenitors at this time point will give rise to progeny in upper layers (Angevine and Sidman, 1961)
Summary
The neocortex is laminated brain structure that coordinates our cognitive capacities and responses, long-term memory, sensory and emotional functions, and voluntary motor behavior (Rakic, 2009; Figure 1). More than a century has passed since the organization of the neocortex was identified through by classic neuroscientists including Cajal, Brodmann, Economo, Kskinas, Sarkissov, Bailey, Boning, and others (Douglas and Martin, 2007). Modern classification has utilized updated approaches, such as transcriptional profiling and receptor mapping, to identify the layers as unique compartments based on their molecular expression patterns that correspond to classic anatomical boundaries (Molyneaux et al, 2007; Leone et al, 2008; Zilles and Amunts, 2009; Kang et al, 2011; Kwan et al, 2012; DeBoer et al, 2013, 2014; He et al, 2017). The maturation of a stereotyped neocortical structure continues to be an indication of appropriate neuroanatomical development and brain function.
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