Table 2. Stages of nervous system development.
| Stages of nervous system development | Mouse age | Key features | Levels of pro-survival BCL-2 molecules |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early embryonic development | E4.5–8 | Onset of organogenesis and neurulation | BCL-2 ↑ |
| Period of NOCD | |||
| Early neural development | E8.5–11.5 | Neural plate and neural tube formation | BCL-2 ↑ MCL-1 ↑ |
| Early fetal life | E12–14.5 | Brain and spinal cord formation | BCL-2 ↓ BCL-XL ↑, MCL-1 ↑ |
| Later fetal life | E15.5–17.5 | Olfactory bulb formation and continued brain and spinal cord development | BCL-2 ↓ BCL-XL ↑, MCL-1 ↑ |
| Post-natal | P0–21 days | Synaptogenesis and astrogenesis | BCL-XL ↑, MCL-1 ↑ |
Abbreviation: NOCD, naturally occurring cell death
Stages of nervous system development with corresponding age of mice, along with their key features and correlation with key changes in expression levels of pro-survival BCL-2 family members. NOCD occurs from late embryonic to early post-natal stage