It takes a village: constructing the neurogenic niche

Although many features of neurogenesis during development and in the adult are intrinsic to the neurogenic cells themselves, the role of the microenvironment is irrefutable. The neurogenic niche is a melting pot of cells and factors that influence CNS development. How do the diverse elements assemble and when? How does the niche change structurally and functionally during embryogenesis and in adulthood? In this review, we focus on the impact of non-neural cells that participate in the neurogenic niche, highlighting how cells of different embryonic origins influence this critical germinal space.