During brain development, neurons can regulate their movement until they reach their final destination thanks to a "molecular switch" involving the protein Teneurin 4 (Ten4). This protein can guide neuronal migration through mutually exclusive molecular pathways and determine the direction of nerve cells.
The discovery, published in the journal Nature Communications , improves our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that control neuronal migration and offers new insights into how the brain develops at the molecular level.
The new international study is led by experts Daniel del Toro, a professor at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and the Institute of Neurosciences (UBneuro) at the University of Barcelona; Elena Seiradake, a professor at the University of Oxford (United Kingdom); and Valentin Nägerl, a professor at Georg-August University of Göttingen (Germany). The lead authors of the study are Miguel Berbeira-Santana, from the University of Oxford, and Claudia Peregrina (UB-UBneuro).
The study combines advanced techniques - structural protein studies, gene editing in animal models and super-resolution microscopy - to broaden our understanding of the origins of neurodevelopmental disorders and psychiatric or neurological conditions -schizophrenia, epilepsy, autism, bipolar disorder, etc. - which may be linked to errors in neuronal migration.
A switch that guides the journey of neurons
The brain is the organ that processes motor, sensory and cognitive information. During embryonic development, neurons must migrate from their place of origin to their final position, where they will form functional circuits. This journey is essential for proper brain development and for neuronal layers and synaptic connections to form.
