title: An intrinsic mechanism of corticogenesis from embryonic stem cells.
abstract: The cerebral cortex develops through the coordinated generation of dozens of neuronal subtypes, but the mechanisms involved remain unclear. Here we show that mouse embryonic stem cells, cultured without any morphogen but in the presence of a sonic hedgehog inhibitor, recapitulate in vitro the major milestones of cortical development, leading to the sequential generation of a diverse repertoire of neurons that display most salient features of genuine cortical pyramidal neurons. When grafted into the cerebral cortex, these neurons develop patterns of axonal projections corresponding to a wide range of cortical layers, but also to highly specific cortical areas, in particular visual and limbic areas, thereby demonstrating that the identity of a cortical area can be specified without any influence from the brain. The discovery of intrinsic corticogenesis sheds new light on the mechanisms of neuronal specification, and opens new avenues for the modelling and treatment of brain diseases.
authors: IRIBHM (Institute for Interdisciplinary Research), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB).
authors: Nicolas
authors: N
authors: Gaspard
authors: Tristan
authors: T
authors: Bouschet
authors: Raphael
authors: R
authors: Hourez
authors: Jordane
authors: J
authors: Dimidschstein
authors: Gilles
authors: G
authors: Naeije
authors: Jelle
authors: J
authors: van den Ameele
authors: Ira
authors: I
authors: Espuny-Camacho
authors: Adèle
authors: A
authors: Herpoel
authors: Lara
authors: L
authors: Passante
authors: Serge N
authors: SN
authors: Schiffmann
authors: Afsaneh
authors: A
authors: Gaillard
authors: Pierre
authors: P
authors: Vanderhaeghen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D019070:Cell Lineage / Q000187:drug effects; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000196:embryology*; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D017966:Pyramidal Cells / Q000187:drug effects; D014704:Veratrum Alkaloids / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D014704:Veratrum Alkaloids; C000541:cyclopamine