title: Decision by division: making cortical maps.
abstract: In the past three decades, mounting evidence has revealed that specification of the basic cortical neuronal classes starts at the time of their final mitotic divisions in the embryonic proliferative zones. This early cell determination continues during the migration of the newborn neurons across the widening cerebral wall, and it is in the cortical plate that they attain their final positions and establish species-specific cytoarchitectonic areas. Here, the development and evolutionary expansion of the neocortex is viewed in the context of the radial unit and protomap hypotheses. A broad spectrum of findings gave insight into the pathogenesis of cortical malformations and the biological bases for the evolution of the modern human neocortex. We examine the history and evidence behind the concept of early specification of neurons and provide the latest compendium of genes and signaling molecules involved in neuronal fate determination and specification.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology and Kavli Institute of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA. pasko.rakic@yale.edu
authors.forename: Pasko
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rakic
authors.forename: Albert E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Ayoub
authors.forename: Joshua J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Breunig
authors.forename: Martin H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Dominguez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019521:Body Patterning; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002465:Cell Movement; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009434:Neural Pathways; D055495:Neurogenesis / Q000502:physiology; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*