Cell fate and cell lineage

A comprehensive analysis of brain somatic mosaicism across the neocortex demonstrates the origins and distribution patterns of cells within the human brain.

Genetic mosaicism has provided a new conceptual framework for the study of the human brain. In this Review, Bizzotto and Walsh discuss mechanisms of brain somatic mutations, what they reveal about development and pathology, and the major associated technical challenges.

During development, neural progenitors generate a variety of neural types sequentially. Here the authors examine gene expression patterns in Drosophila neural progenitors at single-cell level, and identify a gene regulatory network controlling the sequential generation of different neural types.

Ratz et al. present an easy-to-use method to barcode progenitor cells, enabling profiling of cell phenotypes and clonal relations using single-cell and spatial transcriptomics, providing an integrated approach for understanding brain architecture.

Single-cell RNA sequencing with parallel tagging of progenitor cells is used to track clonal relationships and transcriptomic signatures during development of the mouse forebrain.