There is no author summary for this article yet. Authors can add summaries to their articles on ScienceOpen to make them more accessible to a non-specialist audience.
Abstract
Spatial and temporal specification of neural progenitor cells is integral to their
production of a wide variety of central nervous system (CNS) cells. For a given region,
cells arise on a precise and predictable temporal schedule, with sub-types of neurons
appearing in a defined order, followed by glial cell generation. Single cell studies
have shown that the timing of cell generation can be encoded within individual early
progenitor cells as a cell-intrinsic program. Environmental cues are important modulators
of this program, allowing it to unfold and coordinating the process within the embryo.
Here we review recent findings on the molecular mechanisms of epigenetic and transcription
factor regulation, which are involved in temporal specification of CNS stem cells.