RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 β-Catenin Signaling Levels in Progenitors Influence the Laminar Cell Fates of Projection Neurons
JF The Journal of Neuroscience
JO J. Neurosci.
FD Society for Neuroscience
SP 13710
OP 13719
DO 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3022-09.2009
VO 29
IS 43
A1 Christopher A. Mutch
A1 Nobuo Funatsu
A1 Edwin S. Monuki
A1 Anjen Chenn
YR 2009
UL http://www.jneurosci.org/content/29/43/13710.abstract
AB The mechanisms underlying the timing of the laminar fate decisions during cortical neurogenesis remain poorly understood. Here we show that β-catenin signaling in cortical neural precursors can regulate the laminar fate of their daughters. In ventricular zone neural precursors, β-catenin signaling is higher when deep-layer neurons are being generated and lower when upper-layer neurons are being generated. Overactivation of β-catenin in cortical precursors midway through corticogenesis increased the relative production of deep-layer neurons, while inhibition of signaling increased the relative production of upper-layer neurons. Furthermore, in late-gestation upper-layer precursors, overactive β-catenin signaling was able to partially restore production of deep-layer neurons. These observations suggest that increased β-catenin signaling can reset the timing of cortical precursors to promote the production of deep-layer neurons, while inhibition of β-catenin signaling advances the timing to promote upper-layer production.