Researchers find gene critical for development of brain motor center

(Ottawa Hospital Research Institute) In Nature Communications, an Ottawa-led team describes a gene called Snf2h, which is found in our brain's neural stem cells and functions as a master regulator. When they removed this gene early on in a mouse's development, its cerebellum only grew to one-third the normal size. It also had difficulty walking, balancing and coordinating its movements, something called cerebellar ataxia that is a component of many neurodegenerative diseases.
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - Category: Global & Universal Source Type: news