LSI Seminar Series: Minoree Kohwi, Ph.D., Columbia University, Zuckerman Institute Mind Brain Behavior

Neural progenitor cells in both mammals and insects transit through multiple states of competence to produce diverse neural cell types, losing the ability to generate early-born neurons while gaining competence to generate later-born ones. How is competence regulated to ensure the development of a highly organized structure like the brain? Using Drosophila, we find that neuroblasts (fly neural progenitors) undergo a developmentally-timed reorganization of their genome that impacts competence to activate genes in the descendent neurons. Here I will discuss mechanisms of neuroblast genome reorganization and the role of nuclear proteins in competence regulation underlying neural diversification.