Topic: genomic imprinting

The concerted production of the correct number and diversity of neurons and glia by neural stem cells is essential for intricate neural circuit assembly. In the developing cerebral cortex, radial glia progenitors (RGPs) are responsible for producing all neocortical neurons and certain glia lineages. We recently performed a clonal analysis by exploiting the genetic MADM (Mosaic Analysis with Double Markers) technology and discovered a high degree of non-stochasticity and thus deterministic mode of RGP behaviour. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms controlling RGP lineage progression

Growth-factor receptor bound protein 10 (GRB10) is a signal adapter protein encoded by an imprinted gene, with roles in growth control, cellular proliferation, and insulin signalling. Grb10 has a unique, tissue-specific imprinted expression; the paternal copy being expressed in the CNS, whereas the maternal copy is expressed in most other adult tissues in the mouse and human. Nevertheless, although it is critical for normal behaviour in the mouse, the role of paternal Grb10 in brain growth has yet to be established. Here we investigate the brain-growth in mice lacking paternal Grb10 (Grb10+/p)