Neural Progenitors as a Novel Pathogenic Mechanism in Microcephaly

Despite their significance, the genetic and molecular bases of neurodevelopmental disorders remain poorly understood. In this study, using human brain organoids and mouse models, we show that loss of NDE1, a gene closely associated with microcephaly, disrupts progenitor identity, prolongs mitosis, and alters regional patterning in the forebrain. NDE1 knockout leads to a caudal identity shift of neural progenitor cells in the organoids and mouse brains, coinciding with aberrant ERK signaling. Notably, downstream activation of the ERK pathway restored rostral PAX6 expression in human brain organoids. Parallel analyses of Nde1 knockout mice confirmed disrupted regional patterning of the forebrain. Together, our data establish NDE1 as a critical regulator of early human brain regionalization and elucidate molecular mechanisms underlying the structural abnormalities observed in NDE1-associated microcephaly.