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Published on: June 4, 2014
Computational models of neocortical neuronogenesis and programmed cell death in the developing mouse, monkey, and
Julia M Gohlke1, William C Griffith, Elaine M Faustman
1Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, 4225 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle, WA 98105, USA.
Cerebral Cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991)
|January 6, 2007
Summary
Computational models simulate neocortical neuron acquisition in humans and primates. Findings suggest cell cycle duration and cell death significantly expanded the primate neocortex compared to rodents.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Evolutionary Biology
- Computational Biology
Background:
- Neocortex expansion during human evolution is crucial.
- Neocortex development involves progenitor cell proliferation, differentiation, and programmed cell death.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop computational models for simulating neocortical neuron acquisition in humans and rhesus monkeys.
- To compare primate neocortical development with rodent models.
Main Methods:
- Developed computational models using experimental parameters: cell cycle length, cell cycle exit commitment, and cell death.
- Validated models against stereological estimates of neocortical neuron numbers.
Main Results:
- Model results align with independent stereological studies for humans and rhesus monkeys.
- Lengthened neuronogenesis duration and cell cycle/death processes correlate with primate neocortex size.
- Cell death appears to play a more significant role in primate neocortex development than in rodents.
Conclusions:
- Mathematical models offer a quantitative framework for understanding neocortical development and evolution.
- These models facilitate extrapolation between rodent and human findings.
- The models can guide future research on species-specific neocortical development mechanisms.
