ODF2 maintains centrosome cohesion by restricting β-catenin accumulation.

The centrosome, as the main microtubule-organizing center, safeguards chromosome segregation by supporting the bipolar spindle. Centrosome aberrations are causally related to chromosome segregation disorders, both characterizing cancer cells. Thus, a restriction to only having one centrosome per cell and cell cycle-dependent duplication of the centrosome is mandatory.

Control of cerebral size and thickness.

The mammalian neocortex is a sheet of cells covering the cerebrum that provides the structural basis for the perception of sensory inputs, motor output responses, cognitive function, and mental capacity of primates. Recent discoveries promote the concept that increased cortical surface size and thickness in phylogenetically advanced species is a result of an increased generation of neurons, a process that underlies higher cognitive and intellectual performance in higher primates and humans. Here, we review some of the advances in the field, focusing on the diversity of neocortical progenitors in different species and the cellular mechanisms of neurogenesis.