Further Development 16.6: Identifying the Genes that Make the Human Brain

ARHGAP11B is an evolutionary novel human gene that can induce the formation of gyri in the mouse neocortex. (A) Phylogenetic tree of primates showing the point in the human lineage where the ARHGAP11B gene arose through a partial duplication of the ARHGAP11A gene. (B) Transverse section through the mouse brain showing the expression of GHP (green) in cells that electroporated in utero with a construct encoding both GFP and ARHGAP11B. (C) Immunolabeling using a marker for the neocortex (Satb2; red) in a mouse electroporated with ARHGAP11B (green). Nuclei are stained with DAPI (blue). The dashed lines in (B) and (C) denote induced gyri; the arrows denote sulci.

ARHGAP11B is an evolutionary novel human gene that can induce the formation of gyri in the mouse neocortex. (A) Phylogenetic tree of primates showing the point in the human lineage where the ARHGAP11B gene arose through a partial duplication of the ARHGAP11A gene. (B) Transverse section through the mouse brain showing the expression of GHP (green) in cells that electroporated in utero with a construct encoding both GFP and ARHGAP11B. (C) Immunolabeling using a marker for the neocortex (Satb2; red) in a mouse electroporated with ARHGAP11B (green). Nuclei are stained with DAPI (blue). The dashed lines in (B) and (C) denote induced gyri; the arrows denote sulci.

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