The mechanisms that generate the complexity of cell connections in the vertebrate brain, is one of the most challenging problems, in developmental biology. Whether adult organization is acquired in the various areas of the central nervous system following a constant pattern of ontogeny or whether patterns of development and differentiation varies among vertebrate areas, needs comparative data. In the present research project, our specific aim is to generate a lineage map of the chicken forebrain, using retroviruses as vectors to introduce genetic tags into progenitor cells. Further we propose to analyze migration patterns of clonally related cells, as well as to analyze the putative neuromeric framework within which migrations occurs. Finally we will study the cellular composition of genetically labelled clones, in order to see if progenitors are multi or unipotent.
