Catalyzes the transfer of a two-carbon ketol group from a ketose donor to an aldose acceptor, via a covalent intermediate with the cofactor thiamine pyrophosphate. ; [Isoform 4]: During fetal neocortex development, may be essential to maintain the full number of basal radial glia (bRG). bRG are neural progenitor cells that undergo asymmetric divisions, generating a bRG (self-renewal) and a neuron, in contrast to basal intermediate progenitors (bIPs), which typically divide once to give rise to 2 neurons. bRG generate more cortical neurons over time than bIPs.
