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Seeing beyond the average cell: branching process models of cell proliferation, differentiation, and death during mouse brain development

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Abstract

We develop a family of branching process models to study cerebral cortical development at the level of individual neural stem and progenitor cells (NS/PCs) and the neurons they produce. Population-level data about “the average NS/PC” is incorporated as constraints for exploring (i) heterogeneity in the proliferative neural cell types and (ii) variability in daughter cell fate decision making. Preliminary studies demonstrate this variability, generate testable hypotheses about heterogeneity, and motivate new experiments moving forward.

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Acknowledgments

We wish to acknowledge Fred H. Gage, Jan Medlock, the late Michael A. Case, and anonymous reviewers for essential feedback in the development of this manuscript.

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  1. Department of Mathematical Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, 29634-0975,  USA

    Hugh R. MacMillan

  2. Crick-Jacobs Center for Theoretical and Computational Biology, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA 

    Michael J. McConnell

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Correspondence to Hugh R. MacMillan.

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MacMillan, H.R., McConnell, M.J. Seeing beyond the average cell: branching process models of cell proliferation, differentiation, and death during mouse brain development. Theory Biosci. 130, 31–43 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12064-010-0107-7

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