The development of MGE-derived cortical interneurons: An Lhx6 tale

Abstract

The cerebral cortex contains two main neuronal cell populations, the excitatory pyramidal neurons and the inhibitory interneurons, which constitute 20-30% of all cortical neurons. Cortical interneurons are characterized by a remarkable morphological, molecular and functional diversity. A swathe of research activity in the last 20 years aimed to determine how cortical interneurons acquire their mature cellular and functional features, identified a number of transcription factors that function at different stages of interneuron development. Here, we review all current knowledge concerning the multiple functions of the “master regulator” LIMHomeodomain transcription factor Lhx6; a gene expressed in the medial ganglionic eminence of the basal telencephalon that controls the development of somatostatin and parvalbumin expressing interneurons.