Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Farm Research Campus, Ashburn, Virginia 20147, USA.
Dev Dyn. 2012 Jan;241(1):57-68. doi: 10.1002/dvdy.22739. Epub 2011 Sep 19.
Generating diverse neurons in the central nervous system involves three major steps. First, heterogeneous neural progenitors are specified by positional cues at early embryonic stages. Second, neural progenitors sequentially produce neurons or intermediate precursors that acquire different temporal identities based on their birth-order. Third, sister neurons produced during asymmetrical terminal mitoses are given distinct fates. Determining the molecular mechanisms underlying each of these three steps of cellular diversification will unravel brain development and evolution. Drosophila has a relatively simple and tractable CNS, and previous studies on Drosophila CNS development have greatly advanced our understanding of neuron fate specification. Here we review those studies and discuss how the lessons we have learned from fly teach us the process of neuronal diversification in general.
在中枢神经系统中产生多样化的神经元涉及三个主要步骤。首先，在早期胚胎阶段，位置线索决定了异质性的神经祖细胞。其次，神经祖细胞依次产生神经元或中间前体细胞，这些细胞根据出生顺序获得不同的时间身份。第三，在不对称的终末有丝分裂过程中产生的姐妹神经元被赋予不同的命运。确定细胞多样化的这三个步骤背后的分子机制将揭示大脑的发育和进化。果蝇具有相对简单且易于研究的中枢神经系统，并且之前对果蝇中枢神经系统发育的研究极大地促进了我们对神经元命运特化的理解。在这里，我们回顾了这些研究，并讨论了我们从果蝇中学到的经验如何普遍指导神经元多样化的过程。
