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Evolution of cortical lamination: the reelin/Dab1 pathway
1Neurobiology Unit, University of Namur Medical School, Belgium.
Novartis Foundation Symposium
|August 10, 2000
Summary
The reelin/Dab1 pathway is crucial for mammalian brain development. Similarities in cortical organization between reptiles and mammals suggest evolutionary convergence, driven by this pathway.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Evolutionary Biology
Background:
- Mammalian cortical development features radial organization and an inside-outside gradient.
- Reelin and Dab1 are essential for this organization and gradient in mammals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of the reelin/Dab1 pathway in reptilian corticogenesis.
- To compare mammalian and reptilian cortical development and explore evolutionary origins.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of reelin and Dab1 expression and localization in mammalian and reptilian species.
- Examination of cortical plate organization and developmental gradients across different species.
Main Results:
- Reptilian radial organization varies, with an outside-to-inside developmental gradient conserved across species.
- Reptiles possess reelin-expressing cells, but mammals show increased numbers and expression levels.
- Dab1 is expressed in cortical plate cells in both mammals and reptiles.
Conclusions:
- The reelin/Dab1 pathway significantly influenced mammalian cortical evolution.
- Convergent evolution likely explains similarities in radial cortical organization between squamates and mammals.