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Published on: May 8, 2020
Temporal trajectories underlying adult neuronal diversity
1Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ, USA.
Current Opinion in Genetics & Development
|June 30, 2026
Summary
Neurons achieve adult identity through dynamic gene expression and subtype shifts during development. Understanding these temporal changes is key to explaining adult neuronal function and diversity.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Genomics
Background:
- Embryonically born neurons transition to mature adult identities.
- Understanding this developmental process is crucial for neuroscience research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review longitudinal transcriptomic and functional studies on neuronal identity acquisition.
- To elucidate the mechanisms underlying the maturation of neuron types.
Main Methods:
- Integration of single-cell atlases and longitudinal transcriptomic data.
- Analysis of gene expression changes and subtype composition shifts during neuronal development.
Main Results:
- Neuronal maturation involves both gene expression alterations and shifts in subtype composition.
- Functional diversity in adult neurons is influenced by developmental trajectories beyond adult transcriptomics.
- Adult neuronal identity results from transient and stable transcriptomic changes regulated by intrinsic and extrinsic factors.
Conclusions:
- Adult neuronal identity is a complex, time-dependent process.
- Further research is needed to identify regulatory factors, coordinate trajectories, and understand the role of chromatin and time in neuronal development.
