A transcriptional atlas of gyrification reveals dynamic spatio-temporal gene expression in the developing ferret cortex

While basal radial glia cells (bRGCs) in the expanded outer subventricular zone (oSVZ) are known to contribute to gyrification, the gene regulatory mechanisms driving regional cortical folding remain poorly defined. This study examined differential gene expression within the oSVZ of the developing ferret cortex, focussing on regions prospective of the coronal gyrus (CG) and suprasylvian sulcus (SSS) at the onset (postnatal day 5, n = 5) and middle (postnatal day 15, n = 5) of gyrification.

We performed high-throughput, paired-end RNA sequencing on discrete laser capture microdissected oSVZ regions from 50 consecutive brain sections, followed by differential expression analysis, gene ontology, and pathway enrichment using EdgeR and SRplot. The data revealed distinct regional transcriptional signatures enriched for genes involved in progenitor cell proliferation, self-renewal, and neurogenesis, as well as temporal enrichment for axonogenesis and the extracellular matrix (ECM).