Cell migration promotes dynamic cellular interactions to control cerebral cortex morphogenesis.

The cerebral cortex is an evolutionarily advanced brain structure that computes higher motor, sensory and cognitive functions. Its complex organization reflects the exquisite cell migration and differentiation patterns that take place during embryogenesis. Recent evidence supports an essential role for cell migration in shaping the developing cerebral cortex via direct cellular contacts and spatially organized diffusible cues that regulate the establishment of its cytoarchitecture and function. Identifying the nature of the crosstalk between cell populations at play during brain development is key to understanding how cerebral cortical morphogenesis proceeds in health and disease.