ABSTRACT
The mammalian neocortex develops from a population of primary neural stem cells called neuroepithelial cells. These cells, with the progression of development, differentiate into multiple populations of neural progenitors, which give rise to the neurons of the neocortex. These neural progenitors differ in their cell biological features and self-renewing ability, which in turn results in vast differences in the neuronal output. The differences in neuron number infl uence the gross morphology of the brain and the patterns of connectivity, which are very variable among different mammalian species. Work on mammalian neurogenesis has provided us with insight into the molecular mechanisms by which the neural progenitors self-renew and divide. The divisions of different neural progenitor populations are
Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Pfotenhauerstr. 108, D-01307 Dresden, Germany. *Corresponding author: huttner@mpi-cbg.de
List of abbreviations after the text.
