Many questions remain, of course. Betizeau et al. (2013) observed OSVZ progenitors in the occipital lobe of the fetal macaque neocortex. Should we expect progenitors in the frontal, temporal, and ABT-737 cell line parietal lobes to exhibit essentially similar behavior? Because neurogenesis and neuron density (as

observed in the adult neocortex) follow a posterior-anterior gradient, it is important to know whether the findings of Betizeau et al. (2013) apply, in principle, also to other areas of the developing neocortex. Furthermore, it is well established that cortical layers and cortical areas can be distinguished by their gene expression profiles. So, to what extent are gene expression profiles of OSVZ progenitor populations—if they are, in fact, transcriptionally discrete populations—characteristic of their laminar versus areal positions? Ultimately, we want to know what selection pressures these morphologically and behaviorally distinct OSVZ progenitor populations have evolved

in response to. Is the coordination of these proliferative and differentiative behaviors required to simply generate the impressive number of neurons in the primate neocortex? Or have progenitors evolved such a range of behaviors in order to organize this website the diversity of neuronal phenotypes in the neocortex? It will be interesting, and no doubt rewarding, to investigate to what extent the infra- and supragranular OSVZ lineage transition networks are functionally and transcriptionally modular. Future work may examine which genes regulate each network, which genes or regulatory elements are involved in the switching between networks, and whether these are conserved between macaques and humans. The study by Betizeau et al. (2013) advances the field considerably toward understanding how cortical neuron numbers and complexity may be achieved in development and evolution. An advantage of working with nonhuman primate neocortex is the viability of the ex vivo preparation. This approach has revealed a 2-fold increase in the number

of distinct Adenosine progenitor populations identifiable in the OSVZ and, furthermore, clarified the general importance of proliferative divisions in this basal germinal zone in large-brained primates. We are one step closer to comprehending how cortical stem and progenitor cells build the most complex organ in the natural world. “
“Nerves and blood vessels form highly branched, ramified networks extending into nearly every part of our body. The intimate association of some blood vessels and nerves in peripheral tissues reflects the functional interdependence relationship between the two systems: the nervous system requires vascularization to ensure nutrient and oxygen supply, and nerve cells in turn provide precise control of vascular caliber and blood flow.