An In-depth look at gene expression in the developing brain

Miller et al. published a paper in this week's Nature describing the group's study of gene expression in the brain across tissue types during gestational weeks 15-21. RNAs were analyzed from over 300 anatomical regions and in situ hybridization was used to localize expression of elements of interest. Several genes show differential patterns of expression in humans compared with the mouse. Genes nearby human-accelerated noncoding regions show high differential expression among different regions of the neocortex. Notably, FOXP2 expression is enriched in putative language areas. More about the paper's many analyses and findings can be heard on the Nature podcast.