Radial glial cells (RGCs) generate cortical neurons and guide radial neuronal migration, yet how microtubule (MT) regulators coordinate progenitor maintenance, mitotic fidelity, and cortical architecture remains unclear. Here, we identify the MT depolymerase Kif2C/MCAK as an essential regulator of RGC integrity with relevance to human neurodevelopmental disorders. Kif2C is enriched in developing cortical RGCs and localizes to radial fibers, basal endfeet, and mitotic structures. Acute Kif2C depletion in embryonic mouse cortices disrupts RG fiber organization, impairs neuronal migration, reduces the RGC pool, and induces mitotic defects, chromosome segregation errors, DNA damage, and cell-cycle arrest. Kif2C-deficient cortices further exhibit focal pial basement membrane disruption and neuronal overmigration, resulting in a cobblestone-like cortical malformation. We identify two individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders carrying rare deleterious KIF2C variants and show that a patient-derived truncating variant fails to rescue Kif2C-deficient cortical phenotypes, implicating KIF2C dysfunction in human neurodevelopmental disorders.
Inside Interoception: The hidden sense of how you feel inside
MIT Technology Review Explains: Let our writers untangle the complex, messy world of science and technology to help you understand what’s coming next. You can read more