Early spinal cord development: from neural tube formation to neurogenesis

As one of the simplest and most evolutionarily conserved parts of the vertebrate nervous system, the spinal cord serves as a key model for understanding the principles of nervous system construction. During embryonic development, the spinal cord originates from a population of bipotent stem cells te...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Saade, Murielle, Martí, Elisa
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión aceptada para publicación
Fecha de publicación:2025
País:España
Institución:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repositorio:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/392453
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/392453
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Development of the nervous system
Developmental biology
Descripción
Sumario:As one of the simplest and most evolutionarily conserved parts of the vertebrate nervous system, the spinal cord serves as a key model for understanding the principles of nervous system construction. During embryonic development, the spinal cord originates from a population of bipotent stem cells termed neuromesodermal progenitors, which are organized within a transient embryonic structure known as the neural tube. Neural tube morphogenesis differs along its anterior-to-posterior axis: most of the neural tube (including the regions that will develop into the brain and the anterior spinal cord) forms via the bending and dorsal fusion of the neural groove, but the establishment of the posterior region of the neural tube involves de novo formation of a lumen within a solid medullary cord. The early spinal cord primordium consists of highly polarized neural progenitor cells organized into a pseudostratified epithelium. Tight regulation of the cell division modes of these progenitors drives the embryonic growth of the neural tube and initiates primary neurogenesis. A rich history of observational and functional studies across various vertebrate models has advanced our understanding of the cellular events underlying spinal cord development, and these foundational studies are beginning to inform our knowledge of human spinal cord development.