Cortical Interneurons and Their Origins

GABAergic interneurons regulate both the development and function of the cerebral cortex. Multiple studies have demonstrated that many cortical interneurons, possibly all of those in nonprimate mammals, originate in the subcortical telencephalon. Most of these derive from the medial ganglionic eminence, but based on varying degrees of evidence, other sources have been proposed, including the caudal and lateral ganglionic eminences, the septal region, and the cortex itself. Recent evidence also suggests that the spatial diversity of interneuron origins contributes to the remarkable diversity of their differentiated fate.