Generation of diverse cortical inhibitory interneurons

• Published in: Wiley interdisciplinary reviews. Developmental biology 2018-03, Vol.7 (2), p.e306-n/a
• Main Authors: Sultan, Khadeejah T., Shi, Song‐Hai
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Cell Lineage; Cerebral cortex; Cerebral Cortex - cytology; Cerebral Cortex - growth & development; Interneurons; Interneurons - cytology; Interneurons - metabolism; Interneurons - physiology; Nervous system; Neural Inhibition; Neural networks; Neural Stem Cells - cytology; Neural Stem Cells - metabolism; Neural Stem Cells - physiology; Neurogenesis; Structure-function relationships
• ISSN: 1759-7684; 1759-7692
• DOI: 10.1002/wdev.306

First described by Ramon y Cajal as ‘short‐axon’ cells over a century ago, inhibitory interneurons in the cerebral cortex make up ~20–30% of the neuronal milieu. A key feature of these interneurons is the striking structural and functional diversity, which allows them to modulate neural activity in diverse ways and ultimately endow neural circuits with remarkable computational power. Here, we review our current understanding of the generation of cortical interneurons, with a focus on recent efforts to bridge the gap between progenitor behavior and interneuron production, and how these aspects influence interneuron diversity and organization. WIREs Dev Biol 2018, 7:e306. doi: 10.1002/wdev.306 This article is categorized under: Nervous System Development > Vertebrates: General Principles Inhibitory interneurons in the cerebral cortex constitute ~20–30% of the neuronal population. The rich array of interneuron subtypes endows local circuits with a remarkable computational power. How do the developmental origins (i.e. time and place of birth, progenitor behavior, lineage, etc.) influence the production and diversification of cortical interneurons?