Neuronal migration disorders: from genetic diseases to developmental mechanisms

Neurons that constitute the cerebral cortex must migrate hundreds of cell-body distances from their place of birth, and through several anatomical boundaries, to reach their final position within the correct cortical layer. Human neurological conditions associated with abnormal neuronal migration, together with spontaneous and engineered mouse mutants, define at least four distinct steps in cortical neuronal migration. Many of the genes that control neuronal migration have strong genetic or biochemical links to the cytoskeleton, suggesting that the field of neuronal migration might be closing in on the underlying cytoskeletal events.