title: Postmitotic control of sensory area specification during neocortical development.
abstract: The mammalian neocortex is subdivided into cytoarchitectural areas with distinct connectivity, gene expression and neural functions. Areal identity is initially specified by rostrocaudal and mediolateral gene expression gradients in neuroepithelial and radial glial progenitors (the 'protomap'). On further differentiation, distinct sets of gene expression gradients arise in intermediate progenitors and postmitotic neurons, and are necessary to implement areal specification. However, it is still unknown whether postmitotic gene expression gradients can determine areal identity independently of protomap gradients. Here we show, by cell type-restricted genetic loss- and gain-of-function, that high levels of postmitotic COUP-TFI (Nr2f1) expression are necessary and sufficient for the development of sensory (caudal) areal identity. Our data indicate a crucial role for postmitotic patterning genes in areal specification and reveal an unexpected plasticity in this process, which may account for complex and evolutionarily novel structures characteristic of the mammalian neocortex.
authors.affiliation: 1] Univ. Nice Sophia Antipolis, iBV, UMR 7277, 06108 Nice, France [2] Inserm, iBV, U1091, 06108 Nice, France [3] CNRS, iBV, UMR 7277, 06108 Nice, France.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Alfano
authors.affiliation: 1] Univ. Nice Sophia Antipolis, iBV, UMR 7277, 06108 Nice, France [2] Inserm, iBV, U1091, 06108 Nice, France [3] CNRS, iBV, UMR 7277, 06108 Nice, France.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Magrinelli
authors.affiliation: 1] Univ. Nice Sophia Antipolis, iBV, UMR 7277, 06108 Nice, France [2] Inserm, iBV, U1091, 06108 Nice, France [3] CNRS, iBV, UMR 7277, 06108 Nice, France.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Harb
authors.affiliation: Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington 98101, USA.
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Hevner
authors.affiliation: 1] Univ. Nice Sophia Antipolis, iBV, UMR 7277, 06108 Nice, France [2] Inserm, iBV, U1091, 06108 Nice, France [3] CNRS, iBV, UMR 7277, 06108 Nice, France.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Studer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D051838:COUP Transcription Factor I / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008938:Mitosis; D019579:Neocortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D011984:Sensory Receptor Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D051838:COUP Transcription Factor I; C497590:Nr2f1 protein, mouse