Translational Control during Mammalian Neocortex Development and Postembryonic Neuronal Function

Abstract

The control of mRNA translation has key roles in the regulation of gene expression and biological processes such as mammalian cellular differentiation and identity. Methodological advances in the last decade have resulted in considerable progress towards understanding how translational control contributes to the regulation of diverse biological phenomena. In this review, we discuss recent findings in the involvement of translational control in the mammalian neocortex development and neuronal biology. We focus on regulatory mechanisms that modulate translational efficiency during neural stem cells self-renewal and differentiation, as well as in neuronal-related processes such as synapse, plasticity, and memory.

Keywords: Neocortex; Neural stem cells; Neurons; RNA binding proteins; Translational control; miRNAs.