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Subtype Specification of Cerebral Cortical Neurons in Their Immature Stages

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Abstract

The diversification of neuronal subtypes during corticogenesis is fundamental to the establishment of the complex cortical structure. Although subtype specification has been assumed to occur in neural progenitor cells, increasing evidence has begun to reveal the plasticity of subtype determination in immature neurons. Here, we summarize recent findings regarding the regulation of subtype specification during later periods of neuronal differentiation, such as the post-mitotic and post-migratory stages. We also discuss thalamocortical axons as an extra-cortical cue that provides information on the subtype determination of immature cortical neurons.

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Acknowledgements

We thank members of the Nakajima Laboratory for valuable discussions. This work was supported by grants from the MEXT/JSPS KAKENHI (JP 17K07061, JP 16H06482, JP 15H02355), Keio Gijuku Fukuzawa Memorial Fund for the Advancement of Education and Research, Takeda Science Foundation, and the Naito Foundation.

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  1. Department of Anatomy, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan

    Koji Oishi & Kazunori Nakajima

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  1. Koji Oishi
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Correspondence to Koji Oishi or Kazunori Nakajima.

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Oishi, K., Nakajima, K. Subtype Specification of Cerebral Cortical Neurons in Their Immature Stages. Neurochem Res 43, 238–244 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11064-017-2441-3

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