title: Genes and brain malformations associated with abnormal neuron positioning.
abstract: Neuronal positioning is a fundamental process during brain development. Abnormalities in this process cause several types of brain malformations and are linked to neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism, intellectual disability, epilepsy, and schizophrenia. Little is known about the pathogenesis of developmental brain malformations associated with abnormal neuron positioning, which has hindered research into potential treatments. However, recent advances in neurogenetics provide clues to the pathogenesis of aberrant neuronal positioning by identifying causative genes. This may help us form a foundation upon which therapeutic tools can be developed. In this review, we first provide a brief overview of neural development and migration, as they relate to defects in neuronal positioning. We then discuss recent progress in identifying genes and brain malformations associated with aberrant neuronal positioning during human brain development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 985960 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198-5960, USA. jeffrey.moffat@unmc.edu.
authors.forename: Jeffrey J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Moffat
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 985960 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198-5960, USA. minhan.ka@unmc.edu.
authors.forename: Minhan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ka
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 985960 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198-5960, USA. euiman.jung@unmc.edu.
authors.forename: Eui-Man
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 985960 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198-5960, USA. wooyang.kim@unmc.edu.
authors.forename: Woo-Yang
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000473:pathology*; D002465:Cell Movement; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000473:pathology; D005796:Genes; D006801:Humans; D058953:Neural Stem Cells / Q000473:pathology; D009474:Neurons / Q000473:pathology*