Subject collection: Neural development
- Zfp423/ZNF423 regulates cell cycle progression, the mode of cell division and the DNA-damage response in Purkinje neuron progenitors
Summary: Using Zfp423 mouse mutants, this study raises the possibility that cerebellar hypoplasia in Joubert syndrome may stem, at least partially, from defective DNA repair and consequent cell cycle delay.
- KDM3A-mediated demethylation of histone H3 lysine 9 facilitates the chromatin binding of Neurog2 during neurogenesis
Summary: The H3K9 demethylase KDM3A enhances the chromatin binding of Neurog2 during neuronal transcription in Xenopus but is not required for Ascl1 to induce neuronal gene expression.
- Notch signaling patterns neurogenic ectoderm and regulates the asymmetric division of neural progenitors in sea urchin embryos
Summary: Notch regulates the recruitment of SoxC-expressing neural progenitors by lateral inhibition and triggers apoptosis to determine which of the progeny of the final mitosis will become a neuron.
- Notum coordinates synapse development via extracellular regulation of Wingless trans-synaptic signaling
Summary: Extracellular enzymatic deacylase regulation of Wnt trans-synaptic signaling in Drosophila is crucial for proper structural, ultrastructural and functional development of the neuromuscular synapses underlying coordinated movement.
- Differential interactions between Notch and ID factors control neurogenesis by modulating Hes factor autoregulation
Summary: Computational analysis of transcriptome data from neural stem cells reveals key differences in the synergistic interactions between Notch and inhibitor of DNA-binding factors during embryonic and adult neurogenesis.
- Adenohypophysis placodal precursors exhibit distinctive features within the rostral preplacodal ectoderm
Summary: In chick embryos, adenohypophyseal placode precursors differ from the remaining preplacodal ectoderm as they are clustered at the midline, resembling other midline structures important for maintaining the bilateral organization of the neural tube.
- Can injured adult CNS axons regenerate by recapitulating development?
Summary: This Review highlights the mechanisms underlying CNS developmental axon growth and adult regeneration failure, exploring the hypothesis that adult central neurons can regenerate by recapitulating development.
- The miR-124 family of microRNAs is crucial for regeneration of the brain and visual system in the planarian Schmidtea mediterranea
Summary: miR-124 is required during de novo regeneration of the cephalic ganglion and visual system in planarians, as well as in slit-1 expression in the midline of anterior regenerating tissue via canonical Notch signaling.
- Dnmt1-dependent Chk1 pathway suppression is protective against neuron division
Summary: Using a Rb triple knockout mouse model, Chk1 pathway activation during S phase is shown to prevent cell death and override the mitotic resistance of pathological hypoxic and differentiating neurons.
- Sox2 expression in Schwann cells inhibits myelination in vivo and induces influx of macrophages to the nerve
Summary: Sox2 promotes both Schwann cell proliferation and macrophage infiltration in peripheral nerves, demonstrating its potential involvement in disorders of myelination.