Complex nervous systems have a modular architecture, whereby reiterative groups of neurons ("modules") that share certain structural and functional properties are integrated into large neural circuits. Neurons develop from proliferating progenitor cells that, based on their location and time of appearance, are defined by certain genetic programs. Given that genes expressed by a given progenitor play a fundamental role in determining the properties of its lineage (i.e., the neurons descended from that progenitor), one efficient developmental strategy would be to have lineages give rise to the structural modules of the mature nervous system. It is clear that this strategy plays an important role in neural development of many invertebrate animals, notably insects, where the availability of genetic techniques has made it possible to analyze the precise relationship between neuronal origin and differentiation since several decades. Similar techniques, developed more recently in the vertebrate field, reveal that functional modules of the mammalian cerebral cortex are also likely products of developmentally defined lineages. We will review studies that relate cell lineage to circuitry and function from a comparative developmental perspective, aiming at enhancing our understanding of neural progenitors and their lineages, and translating findings acquired in different model systems into a common conceptual framework.

中文翻译：

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细胞谱系在神经元电路和功能发展中的作用。

复杂的神经系统具有模块化架构，因此共享某些结构和功能特性的重复神经元组（“模块”）被集成到大型神经回路中。神经元由增殖的祖细胞发育而来，这些祖细胞根据它们的位置和出现时间，由某些遗传程序定义。鉴于由给定祖细胞表达的基因在确定其谱系（即从该祖细胞继承的神经元）的特性中起基本作用，一种有效的发展策略是让谱系产生成熟神经系统的结构模块. 很明显，这种策略在许多无脊椎动物的神经发育中起着重要作用，特别是昆虫，几十年来，遗传技术的可用性使得分析神经元起源和分化之间的精确关系成为可能。最近在脊椎动物领域开发的类似技术表明，哺乳动物大脑皮层的功能模块也可能是发育确定的谱系的产物。我们将从比较发展的角度回顾将细胞谱系与电路和功能联系起来的研究，旨在加强我们对神经祖细胞及其谱系的理解，并将在不同模型系统中获得的发现转化为一个共同的概念框架。揭示哺乳动物大脑皮层的功能模块也可能是发育定义谱系的产物。我们将从比较发展的角度回顾将细胞谱系与电路和功能联系起来的研究，旨在加强我们对神经祖细胞及其谱系的理解，并将在不同模型系统中获得的发现转化为一个共同的概念框架。揭示哺乳动物大脑皮层的功能模块也可能是发育定义谱系的产物。我们将从比较发展的角度回顾将细胞谱系与电路和功能联系起来的研究，旨在加强我们对神经祖细胞及其谱系的理解，并将在不同模型系统中获得的发现转化为一个共同的概念框架。