Development of the Nervous System (eBook)

Front Cover 1
Development of the Nervous System 4
Copyright 5
To our families 6
Contents 8
Preface to the Third Edition 12
Preface to the Second Edition 14
Preface to the First Edition 16
Chapter 1: Neural induction 18
Development and Evolution of Neurons 18
Early Embryology of Metazoans 18
Derivation of Neural Tissue 19
Interactions with Neighboring Tissues in Making Neural Tissue 24
The Molecular Nature of the Neural Inducer 27
Conservation of Neural Induction 30
Interactions among the ectodermal cells in controlling neuroblast segregation 34
Summary 38
References 38
Chapter 2: Polarity and segmentation 40
Regional identity of the nervous system 40
The anterior–posterior axis and hox genes 41
Hox gene function in the vertebrate nervous system 43
Signaling molecules that pattern the anterior–posterior axis in vertebrates: heads or tails 46
Organizing centers in the developing brain 50
Forebrain development, prosomeres, and pax genes 51
Dorsal–ventral polarity in the neural tube 55
Dorsal neural tube and neural crest 57
Patterning the cerebral cortex 61
Summary 64
References 64
Chapter 3: Genesis and migration 66
What Determines the Number of Cells Produced by the Progenitors? 69
The Generation of Neurons and Glia 72
Cerebral Cortex Histogenesis 75
Cerebellar Cortex Histogenesis 80
Molecular Mechanisms of Neuronal Migration 82
Postembryonic and Adult Neurogenesis 84
Summary 90
References 90
Chapter 4: Determination and differentiation 94
Transcriptional Hierarchies in Invariant Lineages: C. Elegans Neurons 96
Spatial and Temporal Coordinates of Determination: Drosophila CNS Neuroblasts 99
Asymmetric Cell Divisions and Asymmetric Fate 100
Generating Complexity Through Cellular Interactions: the Drosophila Retina 102
Specification and Differentiation Through Cellular Interactions and Interactions With the Local Environment: the Vertebrate Neural Crest 104
Competence and Histogenesis: the Mammalian Cortex 107
The Interplay of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Influences in Histogenesis: the Vertebrate Retina 109
Interpreting Gradients and the Spatial Organization of cell Types: Spinal Motor Neurons 115
Summary 119
References 120
Chapter 5: Axon growth and guidance 122
The Growth Cone 123
The Dynamic Cytoskeleton 127
Dendrite Formation 132
What do Growth Cones Grow on? 134
What Provides Directional Information to Growth Cones? 137
Cell Adhesion and Labeled Pathways 138
Repulsive Guidance 141
Chemotaxis, Gradients, and Local Information 143
Signal Transduction 146
The midline: to Cross or Not to Cross? 147
Attraction and Repulsion: Desensitization and Adaptation 148
The Optic Pathway: Getting There From Here 151
Summary 155
References 155
Chapter 6: Target selection 160
Defasciculation 160
Target Recognition and Target Entry 161
Slowing Down and Branching in the Target Region 163
Border Patrol: the Prevention of Inappropriate Targeting 164
Topographic Mapping 166
Chemospecificity and Ephrins 167
The Third Dimension, Lamina-Specific Termination 170
Cellular and Synaptic Targeting 174
Sniffing out Targets 175
Shifting and Fine Tuning of Connections 179
Summary 183
References 183
Chapter 7: Naturally-occurring neuron death 188
What Does Neuron Death Look Like? 188
Early Elimination of Progenitor Cells 190
How Many Differentiated Neurons Die? 190
Survival Depends on the Synaptic Target 191
NGF: a Target-Derived Survival Factor 193
The Neurotrophin Family 195
The Trk Family of Neurotrophin Receptors 196
How Does the Neurotrophin Signal Reach the Soma? 198
The p75 Neurotrophin Receptor Can Initiate Cell Death 199
Cytokines Act as Neuron Survival Factors 201
Hormonal Control of Neuron Survival 203
Cell Death Requires Protein Synthesis 205
Intracellular Signaling Pathways that Mediate Survival 205
Intracellular Signaling Pathways that Mediate Death 208
Caspases: Agents of Death 209
Bcl-2 Proteins: Regulators of Programmed Cell Death 211
Removal of Dying Neurons 213
Synaptic Transmission at the Target 214
Afferent Regulation of Neuron Survival 215
Intracellular Calcium Mediates Both Survival and Death 216
Summary 218
References 218
Chapter 8: Synapse formation and function 226
What do Newly Formed Synapses Look Like? 231
Where Do Synapses Form on the Postsynaptic Cell? 232
How Rapidly Are Synapses Added to the Nervous System? 234
The First Signs of Synapse Function 234
The Decision to form a Synapse 237
The Sticky Synapse 238
Converting Growth Cones to Presynaptic Terminals 240
Receptor Clustering and Postsynaptic Differentiation at the NMJ 242
Agrin is a Transynaptic Clustering Signal at the NMJ 243
Receptor Clustering Signals in the CNS 245
Scaffold Proteins and Receptor Aggregation in the CNS 247
Innervation Increases Receptor Expression and Insertion 249
Synaptic Activity Regulates Receptor Density 251
Maturation of Transmission and Receptor Isoform Transitions 253
Maturation of Transmitter Reuptake 255
Short-term Plasticity 256
Appearance of Synaptic Inhibition 257
Is Inhibition Really Inhibitory During Development? 257
Summary 258
References 259
Chapter 9: Refinement of synaptic connections 266
The early Pattern of Connections 266
Functional Synapses are Eliminated 267
Many Axonal Arborizations are Eliminated or Refined 269
The Sensory Environment Influences Synaptic Connections 272
Activity Influences Synapse Elimination at the NMJ 277
Synapse Refinement is Reflected in Sensory Coding Properties 278
Activity contributes to Topography and the Alignment of Maps 280
Spontaneous Activity and Afferent Refinement 283
Critical Periods: Enhanced Plasticity During Development 285
Heterosynaptic Depression and Synapse Elimination 286
Involvement of Intracellular Calcium 289
Calcium-Activated Second Messenger Systems 290
Gain Control 292
Homeostatic Plasticity: the More Things Change, the More they Stay the Same 293
Plasticity of Inhibitory Connections 294
Synaptic Influence on Neuron Morphology 296
Summary 298
References 298
Chapter 10: Behavioral development 304
Behavioral Ontogeny 304
The first Movements are Spontaneous 305
The Mechanism of Spontaneous Movements 306
More Complex Behavior is Assembled from the Integration of Simple Circuits 307
The role of Activity in the Emergence of Coordinated Behavior 311
Stage-specific Behaviors 313
Genetic Determinants of Behavior 315
Environmental Determinants of Behavioral Development 316
Beginning to Make Sense of the World 319
Asking Babies Questions (and Getting Some Answers!) 319
Acute Hearing 320
Sharp Eyesight 323
Sex-specific Behavior 325
Genetic Sex 326
Hormonal Control of Brain Gender 326
Singing in the Brain 328
Genetic Control of Brain Hender in Flies 328
From Genome to Brain Gender in Vertebrates? 329
Genomic Imprinting: The Ultimate in Parental Control 330
Hit the Ground Learning 332
Learning preferences from aversions 334
Skill Learning: It Don’t Come Easy 336
Getting information from one brain to another 338
Language 339
Summary 342
References 342
Molecules and Genes Index 348
Subject Index 352