Robert F. Hevner

Pax6, Tbr2, and Tbr1 Are Expressed Sequentially by Radial Glia, Intermediate Progenitor Cells, and Postmitotic Neurons in Developing Neocortex

The developing neocortex contains two types of progenitor cells for glutamatergic, pyramidal-projection neurons. The first type, radial glia, produce neurons and glia, divide at the ventricular surface, and express Pax6, a homeodomain transcription factor. The second type, intermediate progenitor cells, are derived from radial glia, produce only neurons, and divide away from the ventricular surface. Here we show that the transition from radial glia to intermediate progenitor cell is associated with upregulation of Tbr2, a T-domain transcription factor, and downregulation of Pax6. Accordingly, Tbr2 expression in progenitor compartments (the subventricular zone and ventricular zone) rises and falls with cortical plate neurogenesis. The subsequent transition from intermediate progenitor cell to postmitotic neuron is marked by downregulation of Tbr2 and upregulation of Tbr1, another T-domain transcription factor. These findings delineate the transcription factor sequence Pax6 → Tbr2 → Tbr1 in the differentiation of radial glia → intermediate progenitor cell → postmitotic projection neuron. This transcription factor sequence is modified in preplate neurons, in which Tbr2 is transiently coexpressed with Tbr1, and in the direct differentiation pathway from radial glia → postmitotic projection neuron, in which Tbr2 is expressed briefly or not at all.

Tbr1 Regulates Differentiation of the Preplate and Layer 6

During corticogenesis, early-born neurons of the preplate and layer 6 are important for guiding subsequent neuronal migrations and axonal projections. Tbr1 is a putative transcription factor that is highly expressed in glutamatergic early-born cortical neurons. In Tbr1-deficient mice, these early-born neurons had molecular and functional defects. Cajal-Retzius cells expressed decreased levels of Reelin, resulting in a reeler-like cortical migration disorder. Impaired subplate differentiation was associated with ectopic projection of thalamocortical fibers into the basal telencephalon. Layer 6 defects contributed to errors in the thalamocortical, corticothalamic, and callosal projections. These results show that Tbr1 is a common genetic determinant for the differentiation of early-born glutamatergic neocortical neurons and provide insights into the functions of these neurons as regulators of cortical development.

Transcriptional landscape of the prenatal human brain

The anatomical and functional architecture of the human brain is mainly determined by prenatal transcriptional processes. We describe an anatomically comprehensive atlas of the mid-gestational human brain, including de novo reference atlases, in situ hybridization, ultra-high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and microarray analysis on highly discrete laser-microdissected brain regions. In developing cerebral cortex, transcriptional differences are found between different proliferative and post-mitotic layers, wherein laminar signatures reflect cellular composition and developmental processes. Cytoarchitectural differences between human and mouse have molecular correlates, including species differences in gene expression in subplate, although surprisingly we find minimal differences between the inner and outer subventricular zones even though the outer zone is expanded in humans. Both germinal and post-mitotic cortical layers exhibit fronto-temporal gradients, with particular enrichment in the frontal lobe. Finally, many neurodevelopmental disorder and human-evolution-related genes show patterned expression, potentially underlying unique features of human cortical formation. These data provide a rich, freely-accessible resource for understanding human brain development.

Cell migration from the ganglionic eminences is required for the development of hippocampal GABAergic interneurons.

GABAergic interneurons have major roles in hippocampal function and dysfunction. Here we provide evidence that, in mice, virtually all of these cells originate from progenitors in the basal telencephalon. Immature interneurons tangentially migrate from the basal telencephalon through the neocortex to take up their final positions in the hippocampus. Disrupting differentiation in the embryonic basal telencephalon (lateral and medial ganglionic eminences) through loss of Dlx1/2 homeobox function blocks the migration of virtually all GABAergic interneurons to the hippocampus. On the other hand, disrupting specification of the medial ganglionic eminence through loss of Nkx2.1 homeobox function depletes the hippocampus of a distinct subset of hippocampal interneurons. Loss of hippocampal interneurons does not appear to have major effects on the early development of hippocampal projection neurons nor on the pathfinding of afferrent tracts.

An Olfactory Sensory Map Develops in the Absence of Normal Projection Neurons or GABAergic Interneurons

Olfactory sensory neurons expressing a given odorant receptor project to two topographically fixed glomeruli in the olfactory bulb. We have examined the contribution of different cell types in the olfactory bulb to the establishment of this topographic map. Mice with a homozygous deficiency in Tbr-1 lack most projection neurons, whereas mice with a homozygous deficiency in Dlx-1 and Dlx-2 lack most GABAergic interneurons. Mice bearing a P2-IRES-tau-lacZ allele and deficient in either Tbr-1 or Dlx-1/Dlx-2 reveal the convergence of axons to one medial and one lateral site at positions analogous to those observed in wild-type mice. These observations suggest that the establishment of a topographic map is not dependent upon cues provided by, or synapse formation with, the major neuronal cell types in the olfactory bulb.

Role of intermediate progenitor cells in cerebral cortex development.

Intermediate progenitor cells (IPCs) are a type of neurogenic transient amplifying cells in the developing cerebral cortex. IPCs divide symmetrically at basal (abventricular) positions in the neuroepithelium to produce pairs of new neurons or, in amplifying divisions, pairs of new IPCs. In contrast, radial unit progenitors (neuroepithelial cells and radial glia) divide at the apical (ventricular) surface and produce only single neurons or single IPCs by asymmetric division, or self-amplify by symmetric division. Histologically, IPCs are most prominent during the middle and late stages of neurogenesis, when they accumulate in the subventricular zone, a progenitor compartment linked to the genesis of upper neocortical layers (II–IV). Nevertheless, IPCs are present throughout cortical neurogenesis and produce neurons for all layers. In mice, changes in the abundance of IPCs caused by mutations of Pax6, Ngn2, Id4 and other genes are associated with parallel changes in cortical thickness but not surface area. In gyrencephalic brains, IPCs may play broader roles in determining not only laminar thickness, but also cortical surface area and gyral patterns. We propose that regulation of IPC genesis and amplification across developmental stages and regional subdivisions modulates laminar neurogenesis and contributes to the cytoarchitectonic differentiation of cortical areas.

Adult generation of glutamatergic olfactory bulb interneurons

The adult mouse subependymal zone (SEZ) harbors neural stem cells that are thought to exclusively generate GABAergic interneurons of the olfactory bulb. We examined the adult generation of glutamatergic juxtaglomerular neurons, which had dendritic arborizations that projected into adjacent glomeruli, identifying them as short-axon cells. Fate mapping revealed that these originate from Neurog2- and Tbr2-expressing progenitors located in the dorsal region of the SEZ. Examination of the progenitors of these glutamatergic interneurons allowed us to determine the sequential expression of transcription factors in these cells that are thought to be hallmarks of glutamatergic neurogenesis in the developing cerebral cortex and adult hippocampus. Indeed, the molecular specification of these SEZ progenitors allowed for their recruitment into the cerebral cortex after a lesion was induced. Taken together, our data indicate that SEZ progenitors not only produce a population of adult-born glutamatergic juxtaglomerular neurons, but may also provide a previously unknown source of progenitors for endogenous repair.

Beyond laminar fate: Toward a molecular classification of cortical projection/pyramidal neurons

Cortical projection neurons exhibit diverse morphological, physiological, and molecular phenotypes, but it is unknown how many distinct types exist. Many projection cell phenotypes are associated with laminar fate (radial position), but each layer may also contain multiple types of projection cells. We have investigated two hypotheses: (1) that different projection cell types exhibit characteristic molecular expression profiles and (2) that laminar fates are determined primarily by molecular phenotype. We found that several transcription factors were differentially expressed by projection neurons, even within the same layer: Otx1 and Er81, for example, were expressed by different neurons in layer 5. Retrograde tracing showed that Er81 was expressed in corticospinal and corticocortical neurons. In contrast, Otx1 has been detected only in corticobulbar neurons [Weimann et al., Neuron 1999;24:819–831]. Birthdating demonstrated that different molecularly defined types were produced sequentially, in overlapping waves. Cells adopted laminar fates characteristic of their molecular phenotypes, regardless of cell birthday. Molecular markers also revealed the locations of different projection cell types in the malformed cortex of reeler mice. These studies suggest that molecular profiles can be used advantageously for classifying cortical projection cells, for analyzing their neurogenesis and fate specification, and for evaluating cortical malformations.

Intermediate Progenitors in Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis: Tbr2 Expression and Coordinate Regulation of Neuronal Output

Neurogenesis in the adult hippocampus is a highly regulated process that originates from multipotent progenitors in the subgranular zone (SGZ). Currently, little is known about molecular mechanisms that regulate proliferation and differentiation in the SGZ. To study the role of transcription factors (TFs), we focused on Tbr2 (T-box brain gene 2), which has been implicated previously in developmental glutamatergic neurogenesis. In adult mouse hippocampus, Tbr2 protein and Tbr2-GFP (green fluorescent protein) transgene expression were specifically localized to intermediate-stage progenitor cells (IPCs), a type of transit amplifying cells. The Tbr2+ IPCs were highly responsive to neurogenic stimuli, more than doubling after voluntary wheel running. Notably, the Tbr2+ IPCs formed cellular clusters, the average size of which (Tbr2+ cells per cluster) likewise more than doubled in runners. Conversely, Tbr2+ IPCs were selectively depleted by antimitotic drugs, known to suppress neurogenesis. After cessation of antimitotic treatment, recovery of neurogenesis was paralleled by recovery of Tbr2+ IPCs, including a transient rebound above baseline numbers. Finally, Tbr2 was examined in the context of additional TFs that, together, define a TF cascade in embryonic neocortical neurogenesis (Pax6 → Ngn2 → Tbr2 → NeuroD → Tbr1). Remarkably, the same TF cascade was found to be linked to stages of neuronal lineage progression in adult SGZ. These results suggest that Tbr2+ IPCs play a major role in the regulation of adult hippocampal neurogenesis, and that a similar transcriptional program controls neurogenesis in adult SGZ as in embryonic cerebral cortex.

Neurogenin 2 controls cortical neuron migration through regulation of Rnd2

Motility is a universal property of newly generated neurons. How cell migration is coordinately regulated with other aspects of neuron production is not well understood. Here we show that the proneural protein neurogenin 2 (Neurog2), which controls neurogenesis in the embryonic cerebral cortex, directly induces the expression of the small GTP-binding protein Rnd2 (ref. 3) in newly generated mouse cortical neurons before they initiate migration. Rnd2 silencing leads to a defect in radial migration of cortical neurons similar to that observed when the Neurog2 gene is deleted. Remarkably, restoring Rnd2 expression in Neurog2-mutant neurons is sufficient to rescue their ability to migrate. Our results identify Rnd2 as a novel essential regulator of neuronal migration in the cerebral cortex and demonstrate that Rnd2 is a major effector of Neurog2 function in the promotion of migration. Thus, a proneural protein controls the complex cellular behaviour of cell migration through a remarkably direct pathway involving the transcriptional activation of a small GTP-binding protein.