Shubha Tole, PhD
Professor, Department of Biological Sciences
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Mumbai
Host(s): Carol Mason (Faculty)
Control of cell fate and morphology in the developing cerebral cortex
A fundamental feature of the vertebrate central nervous system is that common progenitors produce first neurons and then glia. Cell-intrinsic factors modulate how a progenitor responds to cell-extrinsic cues to achieve this transition. We found that transcription factors Foxg1 and Lhx2 regulate the neuron-glia cell fate switch in the mouse neocortex and hippocampus respectively. Loss of Lhx2 causes neurogenic progenitors in the hippocampus to switch to premature gliogenesis. In the neocortex, however, neurogenesis is not affected. Instead, loss of Lhx2 has a selective effect on the dendritic arborization of callosal neurons without affecting their axonal projections. In contrast, loss of Foxg1 in late neurogenic progenitors in the neocortex causes premature gliogenesis by de-repressing the gliogenic FGF signaling pathway. These findings are relevant to understanding neurodevelopmental disorders associated with haploinsufficiency of either Foxg1 or Lhx2 in humans.
Relevant Publications:
LHX2 regulates dendritic morphogenesis in layer II/III neurons of the neocortex
Tuesdays@10 is a signature Zuckerman Institute initiative that aims to expose researchers at all levels to high-quality science and stimulate scientific discourse. The speakers featured in this series represent various fields and techniques in neuroscience, and include invited guests of the Columbia Neuroscience Seminars, the Zuckerman Institute's Local Circuits Affiliates Program, and other special seminar series through a combined, collaborative effort of one or more of the following: Columbia's Zuckerman Institute, the Center for Precision Psychiatry, the Center for Theoretical Neuroscience, 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.
More information and a full schedule can be found here.