NEOCORTICAL NEUROGENESIS IN DEVELOPMENT AND EVOLUTION Understanding the development and evolution of the mammalian neocortex The development of the mammalian brain, including the human brain, is inextricably linked with its evolution. Of particular interest is the development of the neocortex, the youngest part of the cerebral cortex in evolutionary terms and the seat of such vital functions as sensory perception, generation of motor commands, and higher-order cognition. The process of neurogenesis is crucial to the formation and function of the neocortex, but this process is complex, based on species-specific adaptations of old and acquired new traits that subserve specific functions introduced during mammalian evolution. Neocortical Neurogenesis in Development and Evolution provides a groundbreaking and comprehensive overview of neurogenesis in the developing neocortex and its evolutionary implications. It covers the generation of neurons and their migration to their functional positions, neural patterning, cortical folding, and variations and malformations of cortical development. Readers will find: A comprehensive review of the evolution and development of the neocortex in mammals — the part of our brain involved in the higher cognitive functions A multitude of subject disciplines ranging from neuroscience, molecular biology, genetics, developmental biology, evolutionary biology and medicine to provide a holistic understanding of the evolutionary youngest part of the cerebral cortex Coverage of neurogenesis in the developing neocortex and how this contributes to our understanding of the evolutionary implications Neocortical Neurogenesis in Development and Evolution is essential for researchers and postgraduates in neuroscience, developmental biology, evolutionary biology, and medical research.

Cells—Advances in Research and Application / 2012 Edition is a ScholarlyEditions™ eBook that delivers timely, authoritative, and comprehensive information about Cells. The editors have built Cells—Advances in Research and Application: 2012 Edition on the vast information databases of ScholarlyNews.™ You can expect the information about Cells in this eBook to be deeper than what you can access anywhere else, as well as consistently reliable, authoritative, informed, and relevant. The content of Cells—Advances in Research and Application: 2012 Edition has been produced by the world’s leading scientists, engineers, analysts, research institutions, and companies. All of the content is from peer-reviewed sources, and all of it is written, assembled, and edited by the editors at ScholarlyEditions™ and available exclusively from us. You now have a source you can cite with authority, confidence, and credibility. More information is available at http://www.ScholarlyEditions.com/.

Patterning and Cell Type Specification in the Developing CNS and PNS, Second Edition, the latest release in the Comprehensive Developmental Neuroscience series, presents recent advances in genetic, molecular and cellular methods that have generated a massive increase in new information. The book provides a much-needed update to underscore the latest research in this rapidly evolving field, with new section editors discussing the technological advances that are enabling the pursuit of new research on brain development. This volume focuses on neural patterning and cell type specification in the developing central and peripheral nervous systems. Features leading experts in various subfields as section editors and article authors Contains articles that are peer reviewed to ensure accuracy, thoroughness and scholarship Covers mechanisms which control regional specification, regulate proliferation of neuronal progenitors, control differentiation and survival of specific neuronal subtypes, and control the development of non-neural cells

The central nervous system continuously perceives, integrates, processes and generates information. These complex functions rely on the detailed elaboration of its cellular network and on the myriads of individual, highly differentiated and specialized cell types, classically subdivided into neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. The specification of these individual populations begins early during development with less differentiated, yet already partly restricted, progenitor cells. Anatomically located in dedicated germinative niches, neural progenitors perceive the influence of diffusible molecules of various natures and concentrations. These signals result in the initial specialization of cohorts of progenitors that express unique combinations of transcription factors. It is now clearly established that both extrinsic and intrinsic signals act in concert to determine the fate potentials of these progenitor cohorts. This limitation increases over time, adult neural progenitors being more restricted than their developmental counterparts. Nevertheless, recent data have shown that the fate restriction of neural progenitors, as well as that of their progenies, can be overwritten upon selected intrinsic factor expression, not only during development but also in adulthood. This e-book is a collection of original research studies along with review articles that, together, provide insights into the vast spatiotemporal diversity of neural progenitors, and the various factors that govern their fate potential.

This volume describes the latest findings on transcriptional and translational regulation of stem cells. Both transcriptional activators and repressors have been shown to be crucial for the maintenance of the stem cell state. A key element of stem cell maintenance is repression of differentiation factors or developmental genes – achieved transcriptionally, epigenetically by the Polycomb complex, and post-transcriptionally by RNA-binding proteins and microRNAs. This volume takes two approaches to this topic – (1) illustrating the general principles outlined above through a series of different stem cell examples – embryonic, iPS and adult stem cells, and (2) describing several molecular families that have been shown to have roles in regulation of multiple stem cell populations.

Neural Circuit and Cognitive Development, Second Edition, the latest release in the Comprehensive Developmental Neuroscience series, provides a much-needed update to underscore the latest research in this rapidly evolving field, with new section editors discussing the technological advances that are enabling the pursuit of new research on brain development. This volume is devoted mainly to anatomical and functional development of neural circuits and neural systems and cognitive development. Understanding the critical role these changes play in neurodevelopment provides the ability to explore and elucidate the underlying causes of neurodevelopmental disorders and their effect on cognition. This series is designed to fill the knowledge gap, offering the most thorough coverage of this field on the market today and addressing all aspects of how the nervous system and its components develop. Features leading experts in various subfields as section editors and article authors Presents articles that have been peer reviewed to ensure accuracy, thoroughness and scholarship Includes coverage of mechanisms that control the assembly of neural circuits in specific regions of the nervous system and multiple aspects of cognitive development