Neuronal basic helix-loop-helix proteins Neurod2/6 regulate cortical commissure formation before midline interactions

Abstract

Establishment of long-range fiber tracts by neocortical projection neurons is fundamental for higher brain functions. The molecular control of axon tract formation, however, is still poorly understood. Here, we have identified basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors Neurod2 and Neurod6 as key regulators of fasciculation and targeted axogenesis in the mouse neocortex. In Neurod2/6 double-mutant mice, callosal axons lack expression of the cell adhesion molecule Contactin2, defasciculate in the subventricular zone, and fail to grow toward the midline without forming Probst bundles. Instead, mutant axons overexpress Robo1 and follow random trajectories into the ipsilateral cortex. In contrast to long-range axogenesis, generation and maintenance of pyramidal neurons and initial axon outgrowth are grossly normal, suggesting that these processes are under distinct transcriptional control. Our findings define a new stage in corpus callosum development and demonstrate that neocortical projection neurons require transcriptional specification by neuronal bHLH proteins to execute an intrinsic program of remote connectivity.