Figure 1.

Mitochondria dynamics regulate neurogenesis during a postmitotic critical period. The mouse cortical NSC/RGC has tubular mitochondria during interphase and undergoes mitochondrial fission during mitosis. After mitosis, both daughter cells display fragmented mitochondria. However, the cells that undergo mitochondrial fusion in the next hours will remain NSCs, whereas those that keep fragmented mitochondria will become neurons. During this critical period, which is double in human NSCs compared with mouse NSCs, the fate of the cells can be changed by manipulating mitochondria dynamics.