Nov. 13, 2012 As the brain develops, each neuron must find its
way to precisely the right spot to weave the intricate network
of links the brain needs to function. Like the wiring in a
computer, a few misplaced connections can throw off functioning
for an entire segment of the brain. A new study by researchers
at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine reveals
how some nerve cells, called interneurons, navigate during the
development of the cerebral cortex. Mutations in a key gene
behind this navigation system underlie a rare neurological
disorder called Joubert syndrome; a condition linked with autism
spectrum disorders and brain structure malformations. The study
was published online on Nov. 12, 2012 by the journal
Developmental Cell. "We were trying to understand how neurons
get to the right place at the right time during brain
development," said senior study author Eva Anton, PhD, a
professor in the UNC Neuroscience Center and the Department of
Cell Biology and Physiology at the UNC School of