The central nervous system comprises amazingly divergent neuronal cell types, most of which are generated during the early stages of life. Different neuronal types have distinct identities in cell body locations, axonal trajectory patterns, and synaptic partners. Achieving this level of cellular heterogeneity involves the fate specification and diversification of neuronal types following the initial neurogenesis and requires intricate transcriptional regulations.
We investigate the gene regulatory mechanisms by which neuronal populations differentiate into subtypes and migrate to their destination using the developing spinal cord and cortex as model systems.
Our study provides important insights into the gene networks orchestrating neuronal cell-type specification and diversification. Our study also sheds light on the disease mechanism of human neurodevelopmental disorders.
Host Information: Gillie Ben-Chorin, Kohwi Lab
The Columbia Neuroscience Seminar series is a collaborative effort of Columbia's Zuckerman Institute, the Department of Neuroscience, the Doctoral Program in Neurobiology and Behavior and the Columbia Translational Neuroscience Initiative, and with support from the Kavli Institute for Brain Science.