Conserved transcriptional regulation by BRN1 and BRN2 in neocortical progenitors drives mammalian neural specification and neocortical expansion.

ABSTRACT: The neocortex varies in size and complexity among mammals due to the tremendous variability in the number and diversity of neuronal subtypes across species. The increased cellular diversity is paralleled by the expansion of the pool of neocortical progenitors and the emergence of indirect neurogenesis during brain evolution. The molecular pathways that control these biological processes and are disrupted in neurological disorders remain largely unknown. Here we show that the transcription factors BRN1 and BRN2 have an evolutionary conserved function in neocortical progenitors to control their proliferative capacity and the switch from direct to indirect neurogenesis. Functional studies in mice and ferrets show that BRN1/2 act in concert with NOTCH and primary microcephaly genes to regulate

SUBMITTER: Barao S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11399407 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature