Making Ramón y Cajal proud: Development of cell identity and diversity in the cerebral cortex

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Biology
• Cell Biology

Background:

• The cerebral cortex exhibits immense cellular diversity, challenging neuroscience to understand its generation and interaction.
• Fundamental questions concern neuronal diversity mechanisms, signal integration, and cell-cell influences during development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review progress in understanding cortical development.
• To highlight general principles of cell diversification and cell-cell interactions.
• To use cortical excitatory projection neurons as a model system.

Main Methods:

• Review of recent advancements in profiling and perturbing cortical development.
• Utilizing new technologies for high-resolution analysis across multiple modalities.
• Focusing on cortical excitatory projection neurons.

Main Results:

• New technologies offer unprecedented resolution for studying cortical development.
• Progress has been made in understanding the mechanistic principles of neuronal diversity.
• The role of cell-cell interactions in ensuring proper integration and function is being elucidated.

Conclusions:

• Cortical development involves intricate mechanisms of cell diversification and interaction.
• Technological advancements are crucial for unraveling these complex processes.
• Excitatory projection neurons serve as a valuable model for understanding general developmental principles.