Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 28, 2026

Time-Lapse Imaging of Migrating Neurons and Glial Progenitors in Embryonic Mouse Brain Slices
04:17

Time-Lapse Imaging of Migrating Neurons and Glial Progenitors in Embryonic Mouse Brain Slices

Published on: March 8, 2024

Orienting fate: spatial regulation of neurogenic divisions

Xiaoqun Wang1, Jan H Lui, Arnold R Kriegstein

  • 1Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, 35 Medical Center Way, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.

Neuron
|October 25, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Cleavage plane orientation influences neural stem cell fate. A new study demonstrates that Inscuteable-mediated control of this orientation regulates neural progenitor cell output in mice.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Biology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Cleavage plane orientation is hypothesized to control neural stem cell progeny fate.
  • Evidence supporting this in the neocortex has been limited.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of cleavage plane orientation in regulating neural progenitor cell output.
  • To elucidate the mechanism of Inscuteable-mediated control in the neocortex.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized mouse models to study neural progenitor cell division.
  • Investigated the function of Inscuteable in controlling cleavage plane orientation.
  • Analyzed the impact on progenitor cell proliferation and differentiation.

Main Results:

  • Demonstrated that Inscuteable-mediated cleavage plane orientation is crucial for regulating neural progenitor cell output.
  • Showed a direct link between the orientation of cell division and the fate of daughter cells.
  • Provided key evidence for this mechanism in the developing neocortex.

Conclusions:

  • Inscuteable-mediated cleavage plane orientation is a critical determinant of neural progenitor cell proliferation and fate.
  • This mechanism plays a significant role in neocortical development.
  • The findings offer new insights into the regulation of neurogenesis.

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