A retinoic acid autoregulatory loop governing prefrontal-motor arealization.
- Open access
A conserved autoregulatory loop involving retinoic acid and MEIS2 directs prefrontal-motor cortical arealization in humans and mice.
- Why it matters: Understanding how distinct cortical regions develop is crucial for insights into brain function and neuropsychiatric disorders, yet the mechanisms confining RA signalling are unclear.
- What they did: The study mapped RA-associated gene networks in the developing human PFC, identified MEIS2 as a key hub, and used mouse models with conditional Meis2 deletion to examine effects on cortical identity and RA signalling.
- The result: Disruption of Meis2 led to a shift from prefrontal to motor-like features, revealing a feedback loop that maintains RA gradients and cortical territory identity, with implications for neural circuit formation and disease.