A Temporal Transcriptional Switch Governs Stem Cell Division, Neuronal Numbers, and Maintenance of Differentiation (Developmental Cell)

Mora et al. discover neural stem cells in the Drosophila brain that divide symmetrically to double their numbers before generating one of the largest neuronal lineages in the fly. Atonal, the transcription factor that regulates stem cell doubling, also programs the maintenance of a differentiated state in their daughter neurons.