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Neurogenesis

Sizing up the CNS

Nature Reviews Neuroscience volume 5, page 900 (2004)Cite this article

The earliest stem cells in the neural tube are neuroepithelial cells, which proliferate through a series of symmetrical divisions. In mice, at about embryonic day (E) 8.5, these cells begin to take on the characteristics of radial glia. During the ensuing phase of neurogenesis, the radial glial cells divide asymmetrically to generate neurons and more radial glia.

The Hes1 and Hes5 genes code for effectors of the Notch signalling pathway, and they are expressed extensively in the embryonic CNS. Previous studies have indicated that they are required for the maintenance of neural stem cells, but single knockouts of either gene produce only mild phenotypes, perhaps because they can partially compensate for one another. Consequently, Hatakeyama et al. decided to examine the effects of inactivating both genes.

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ORIGINAL RESEARCH PAPER

  1. Hatakeyama, J. et al. Hes genes regulate size, shape and histogenesis of the nervous system by control of the timing of neural stem cell differentiation. Development 131, 5539–5550 (2004)

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  1. Heather Wood
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Wood, H. Sizing up the CNS. Nat Rev Neurosci 5, 900 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn1569

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn1569

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