Coordinated transition of cells from one neurodevelopmental stage to another are needed to produce synchronized development of the cortical layers. The navigation through distinct developmental stages involves concerted regulation of thousands of genes and is likely overseen by some central guiding mechanism(s). Our recent studies have revealed one such pan-ontogenic mechanism, Integrative Nuclear FGFR1 Signaling (INFS) that controls general body and the brain development18–20. The fgfr1 gene resides at the top of the gene hierarchy that governs gastrulation, as well as the subsequent development of the major body axes, nervous system, muscles, and bones, by affecting downstream genes that control the cell cycle, pluripotency, and differentiation, as well as microRNAs (miRNAs)21–26. Studies show that this regulation is executed by nuclear FGFR1 (nFGFR1), which integrates signals from diverse development-initiating factors, cooperates with a multitude of transcription factors (TFs), and targets thousands of genes encoding for mRNAs, as well as miRNAs in top ontogenic networks19,20. nFGFR1 binds to the promoters of genes that control the transition from proliferation to cell differentiation, as well as to the morphogens that delineate the body and CNS axes, and construct the nervous system18,19,27–29.
