Developmental control of cortico-cerebral astrogenesis

A remarkable body of research over the last 15 years has been aimed at disentangling the cellular and molecular mechanisms which regulate murine cortico-cerebral astrogenesis. This research effort has allowed the reconstruction of the actual sizing of this process, as well as a better definition of its temporal, spatial and clonal articulation. Moreover, these investigations have shed substantial light on the cardinal molecular mechanisms governing the transition from pallial neuronogenesis to astrogenesis, as well as subsequent progress of the latter. It has turned out that proper temporal articulation of astrogenesis relies on a plethora of tightly interlaced mechanisms, which synergistically dampen astrogenesis prior to birth and promote it during peri- and postnatal life. The aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive and organic synthesis of these mechanisms, as well as a critical evaluation of their specific relevance to proper articulation of cerebral cortex astrogenesis in time and space.