Primary Microcephaly: Do All Roads Lead to Rome?

Overview

Journal Trends Genet

Specialty Genetics

Date 2009 Oct 24

PMID 19850369

Citations 210

Authors

Gemma K Thornton

C Geoffrey Woods

Affiliations

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Abstract

The relatively large brain and expanded cerebral cortex of humans is unusual in the animal kingdom and is thought to have promoted our adaptability and success as a species. One approach for investigating neurogenesis is the study of autosomal recessive primary microcephaly (MCPH), in which prenatal brain growth is significantly reduced without an effect on brain structure. To date, eight MCPH loci and five genes have been identified. Unexpectedly, all MCPH proteins are ubiquitous and localise to centrosomes for at least part of the cell cycle. Here, we focus on recent functional studies of MCPH proteins that reveal the centrosome as a final integration point for many regulatory pathways affecting prenatal neurogenesis in mammals.

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