DGCR8 and 22q11.2 deletion syndrome: The thalamocortical abnormalities in 22q11DS mice are caused by the haploinsufficiency of the Dgcr8 gene (Chun et al., 2014; Figure 2D), which is encoded within the microdeletion and is a part of the microprocessor complex that mediates the biogenesis of microRNAs (miRNAs), small non-coding RNAs that bind target mRNAs by complementary base pairing and inhibit mRNA translation or promote mRNA degradation (Ambros, 2004).