Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Neurulation

Neurulation

Neurulation is the embryological process which forms the precursors of the central nervous system and occurs after gastrulation has established the three primary cell layers of the embryo: ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm. In humans, the majority of this system is formed via primary neurulation, in which the central portion of the ectoderm—originally appearing as a flat sheet of cells—folds upwards and inwards, sealing off to form a hollow neural tube. As development proceeds, the anterior...

Association Areas of the Cortex

Association Areas of the Cortex

Association areas are regions of the cerebral cortex that do not have a specific sensory or motor function. Instead, they integrate and interpret information from various sources to enable higher cognitive processes such as memory, learning, and decision-making. Some key association areas include the following:
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...

Transducer Mechanism: G Protein–Coupled Receptors

Transducer Mechanism: G Protein–Coupled Receptors

G Protein–Coupled Receptors (GPCRs) are membrane-bound receptors that transiently associate with heterotrimeric G proteins and induce an appropriate response to various stimuli. GPCRs regulate critical physiological pathways and are excellent drug targets for treating diseases such as diabetes, cancer, obesity, depression, or Alzheimer's. Nearly 35% of approved drugs implement their therapeutic effects by selectively interacting with specific GPCRs.
GPCRs are also called heptahelical, 7TM, or...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Competing programs shape cortical sensorimotor-association axis development.

Nature·2026

Same author

Spatiotemporal brain transcriptomics reveal risk gene hot-spots in major neuropsychiatric disorders.

Communications biology·2026

Same author

A novel probe for precise and symmetric bilateral in utero electroporation in the mouse.

Neuroscience research·2025

Same author

Spatiotemporal Brain Transcriptomics Reveal Risk Gene Hot-Spots in Major Neuropsychiatric Disorders.

Research square·2025

Same author

Competing Programs Shape Cortical Sensorimotor-Association Axis Development.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025

Same author

The <i>Iroquois</i> (<i>Iro/Irx</i>) homeobox genes are conserved Hox targets involved in motor neuron development.

iScience·2025

Same journal

Expanding the C. elegans toolkit with gonad explants.

Development (Cambridge, England)·2026

Same journal

Nuclear Factor Y controls nutrient-adaptive epithelial growth by regulating mTOR in the Drosophila midgut.

Development (Cambridge, England)·2026

Same journal

Primordial germ cells differentially contribute to the germline in zebrafish.

Development (Cambridge, England)·2026

Same journal

Dissecting planar and vertical organiser signals in early chick neural development.

Development (Cambridge, England)·2026

Same journal

Real-time transcriptomic profiling of hPSC-derived cartilage during development identifies a key role for the extracellular matrix in homeostasis and protection.

Development (Cambridge, England)·2026

Same journal

In preprints - housekeeping the housekeeping genes.

Development (Cambridge, England)·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 8, 2026

Placing Growth Factor-Coated Beads on Early Stage Chicken Embryos

Placing Growth Factor-Coated Beads on Early Stage Chicken Embryos

Published on: October 1, 2007

FGF8 acts as a classic diffusible morphogen to pattern the neocortex.

Reiko Toyoda¹, Stavroula Assimacopoulos, Jennifer Wilcoxon

¹Department of Neurobiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.

Development (Cambridge, England)

|September 17, 2010

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Fibroblast growth factor 8 (FGF8) acts as a morphogen, diffusing from an anterior source to pattern the neocortical area map. This study confirms FGF8

More Related Videos

Rapid Detection of Neurodevelopmental Phenotypes in Human Neural Precursor Cells (NPCs)

Rapid Detection of Neurodevelopmental Phenotypes in Human Neural Precursor Cells (NPCs)

Published on: March 2, 2018

A Practical Approach to Genetic Inducible Fate Mapping: A Visual Guide to Mark and Track Cells In Vivo

A Practical Approach to Genetic Inducible Fate Mapping: A Visual Guide to Mark and Track Cells In Vivo

Published on: December 30, 2009

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 8, 2026

Placing Growth Factor-Coated Beads on Early Stage Chicken Embryos

Placing Growth Factor-Coated Beads on Early Stage Chicken Embryos

Published on: October 1, 2007

Rapid Detection of Neurodevelopmental Phenotypes in Human Neural Precursor Cells (NPCs)

Rapid Detection of Neurodevelopmental Phenotypes in Human Neural Precursor Cells (NPCs)

Published on: March 2, 2018

A Practical Approach to Genetic Inducible Fate Mapping: A Visual Guide to Mark and Track Cells In Vivo

A Practical Approach to Genetic Inducible Fate Mapping: A Visual Guide to Mark and Track Cells In Vivo

Published on: December 30, 2009

Area of Science:

Developmental biology
Neuroscience
Molecular biology

Background:

Fibroblast growth factor 8 (FGF8) is known to regulate anterior-posterior (A/P) patterning in the neocortical area map.
The precise mechanism by which FGF8 controls this patterning, specifically whether it acts as a diffusible morphogen, has not been directly investigated.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate whether FGF8 functions as a classic diffusible morphogen in the developing mouse neocortex.
To determine if FGF8 forms a gradient and acts at a distance to specify neocortical area identity.

Main Methods:

FGF8 immunofluorescence to visualize protein distribution and gradient formation.
Fate-mapping experiments to trace cell origins and FGF8 expression patterns.
Electroporation of new FGF8 sources and dominant-negative FGF8 receptors to assess diffusion and functional impact.
Analysis of FGF8-responsive gene expression in response to altered FGF8 levels.

Main Results:

FGF8 protein forms a gradient across the anterior-posterior axis of the neocortical primordium.
Neocortical progenitor cells outside the anterior source do not express or originate from FGF8-expressing cells, supporting diffusion.
Experimental manipulation confirmed FGF8 diffusion and its role in inducing specific gene expression domains.
Reduction of FGF8 signaling shifted cell identity towards more posterior fates, demonstrating long-range patterning.

Conclusions:

FGF8 acts as a classic diffusible morphogen in the neocortex.
FGF8 gradient formation from an anterior source is crucial for specifying neocortical area identity.
These findings provide a foundation for future research into neocortical pattern formation mechanisms.