engleski

CUX2 throughout fetal development of the human cerebral cortex

AIMS: Transcription factor CUX2 is considered as a cell fate determinant of the adult upper cortical layers. Herein, we followed CUX2 fetal spatio-temporal expression dynamics throughout prenatal development. One of the aims of this study is to elude CUX2 possible engagement in the histogenetic processes of the human cortical development. METHODS: CUX2 protein and RNA expression pattern is identified using immunohistochemistry and RNA-scope on formalin fixed-paraffin-embedded sections of postmortem human brains from 10 to 38 post-conceptional weeks (PCW) of the Zagreb Neuroembryological Collection. RESULTS: In the early fetal development (12-13 PCW) CUX2 positive cells were present in the subplate (SP) and within the upper third of marginal zone (MZ), evenly spaced in the tangential direction and partially co- localizing with Reelin. During the midfetal development (15-25 PCW) we observed CUX2 positive cells in the MZ, SP, and in addition, strong protein and RNA expression in the cortical plate (CP). At 38 PCW, CUX2 is expressed in the cells of gyral white matter (WM), along with the cells of layer I of the frontal cortex, and distinct subcortical reactivity. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that the pre-SP, SP and WM CUX2 reactive nuclei belong to postmigratory SP neurons which are prospective projection (transient associative) neurons. Overall, CUX2 differential expression across the early and late fetal cortical development suggests its potential role in the cellular fate selection.

human cortical development, layer markers, associative neurons

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