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. 2020 Dec 31;11(1):51. doi: 10.3390/biom11010051

Figure 1.

Figure 1

Corticogenesis. During early cortical development, neural stem cells (NSCs) predominantly undergo symmetric divisions to expand the NSC pool (Progenitor expansion phase). This pool includes neuroepithelial, radial glial and intermediate progenitor cells. Neuroepithelial cells (NECs) become radial glial cells (RGCs), which by asymmetric divisions generate RGC and intermediate progenitors (IPCs) or neurons, both migrating and differentiating (Neurogenesis phase). At later stages of development, NSCs generate the other cell types of the brain including astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, or ependymal cells (Gliogenesis phase). During cortical development, Cx37 and Cx45 are largely distributed from the VZ to the cortical plate, whereas Cx36 and Cx43 are highly expressed in the VZ and less in the cortical plate. While Cx43 is a negative modulator of neuronal differentiation, Cx36 activates this process (in green). Cx26 and Cx43 are involved in neocortical neuronal migration (in grey). The differentiation of oligodendrocytes is accompanied by the expression of specific Cxs (Cx29, Cx32, Cx47) that are involved in the postnatal myelination process. The time scale of these phases of corticogenesis (E: Embryogenesis days) is from mouse [136].