Specialization of Gene Expression during Mouse Brain Development

Noa Liscovitch, Gal Chechik

Abstract: Author Summary Brain development is one of the most complex biological processes, orchestrated by the precisely timed and coordinated expression of thousands of genes. As the brain develops, specific regions are formed, their structure and function reflected in unique sets of expressed genes. Regional gene expression profiles determine the basic properties of neural systems: controlling how the brain develops from embryos to adults, maintaining the well being of the system, adapting the brain following experience and carrying out specific regional functions. Here we investigate the temporal dynamics of changes in regional gene expression patterns throughout mouse brain development. We identify a neurotypic phase around the time of birth, in which patterns of gene expression become more homogeneous across the brain, creating an ‘hourglass’ shaped expression divergence profile. We characterize the biological processes, genes and brain regions responsible for this pattern, and also compare mouse neurodevelopmental expression patterns with parallel data from human, finding striking similarities and differences between the two species.