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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2021 Jun 7.
Published in final edited form as: Nat Neurosci. 2020 Dec 7;24(1):34–46. doi: 10.1038/s41593-020-00736-x

Figure 8. Schematic representation of the major principle of neuronal diversification in the developing CNS versus ENS.

Figure 8

a) Progenitor cells within the neural tube are patterned according to their position within the coordinates of morphogenetic cues. The transcription factor codes (depicted by different colors) of each progenitor is decoded into different neuron class identities at neurogenesis. Further maturation leads to neuronal heterogeneity within each major neuron class. Temporal specification mechanisms (important in telencephalon and ventral myelencephalon) are not accounted for here. b) In contrast to progenitors within the neural tube, ENS progenitor cells are migratory and therefore lack distinct positional identities. A binary heterogeneity is apparent in neuroblasts undergoing their last cell cycle, resulting in post-mitotic neurons with traits of ENC1 or ENC8. Immature neurons either differentiate into these prototypic classes, or differentiate further in a gradual diversification process where the initial features are downregulated and replaced by other transcriptional programs generating ENC2-7 and ENC9-12. Picture depicts the plausible branching process, but future interrogation is needed to resolve the trajectory of each ENC in detail. CNS: Central Nervous System; ENS: Enteric Nervous System; ENC: Enteric Neuron Class.