Mechanisms of neural stem cell dissemination into the human fetal cortex identified!
Neural stem cell population, the basal radial glial (bRG) cells has been linked to increase in the size of the human neocortex but the mechanism is not well understood.
The researchers in this study identify two translocation mechanisms for bRG cell colonization of the human neocortex.
In addition to an actomyosin-dependent movement called mitotic somal translocation (MST), the authors identify a microtubule-dependent motion occurring during interphase termed interphasic somal translocation (IST).
They also demonstrate that IST is driven by the dynein motor and its activator LIS1, which are recruited to the nuclear envelope by the LINC complex, while MST is controlled by the mitotic cell-rounding pathway.
The authors determine that IST bRG cell translocation is about 85%, resulting in a total movement of 0.67 mm per month of gestation.
The researchers also show that IST and MST mechanisms are reused in migrating bRG-related glioblastoma cells.
