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Throesch BT, Bin Imtiaz MK, Muñoz-Castañeda R, Sakurai M, Hartzell AL, James KN, Rodriguez AR, Martin G, Lippi G, Kupriyanov S, Wu Z, Osten P, Izpisua Belmonte JC, Wu J, Baldwin KK. Functional sensory circuits built from neurons of two species. Cell 2024; 187:2143-2157.e15. [PMID: 38670072 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.03.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
A central question for regenerative neuroscience is whether synthetic neural circuits, such as those built from two species, can function in an intact brain. Here, we apply blastocyst complementation to selectively build and test interspecies neural circuits. Despite approximately 10-20 million years of evolution, and prominent species differences in brain size, rat pluripotent stem cells injected into mouse blastocysts develop and persist throughout the mouse brain. Unexpectedly, the mouse niche reprograms the birth dates of rat neurons in the cortex and hippocampus, supporting rat-mouse synaptic activity. When mouse olfactory neurons are genetically silenced or killed, rat neurons restore information flow to odor processing circuits. Moreover, they rescue the primal behavior of food seeking, although less well than mouse neurons. By revealing that a mouse can sense the world using neurons from another species, we establish neural blastocyst complementation as a powerful tool to identify conserved mechanisms of brain development, plasticity, and repair.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin T Throesch
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Muhammad Khadeesh Bin Imtiaz
- Cecil H. and Ida Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | | | - Masahiro Sakurai
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA; Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Andrea L Hartzell
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Kiely N James
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Alberto R Rodriguez
- Mouse Genetics Core, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Greg Martin
- Mouse Genetics Core, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Giordano Lippi
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Sergey Kupriyanov
- Mouse Genetics Core, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Zhuhao Wu
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Pavel Osten
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA
| | - Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA; Gene Expression Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA; Altos Labs, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Jun Wu
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA; Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA; Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA; Cecil H. and Ida Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
| | - Kristin K Baldwin
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA; Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia Stem Cell Initiative, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
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Wang Y, Wang Y, Wang H, Ma L, Eickhoff SB, Madsen KH, Chu C, Fan L. Spatio-molecular profiles shape the human cerebellar hierarchy along the sensorimotor-association axis. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113770. [PMID: 38363683 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Cerebellar involvement in both motor and non-motor functions manifests in specific regions of the human cerebellum, revealing the functional heterogeneity within it. One compelling theory places the heterogeneity within the cerebellar functional hierarchy along the sensorimotor-association (SA) axis. Despite extensive neuroimaging studies, evidence for the cerebellar SA axis from different modalities and scales was lacking. Thus, we establish a significant link between the cerebellar SA axis and spatio-molecular profiles. Utilizing the gene set variation analysis, we find the intermediate biological principles the significant genes leveraged to scaffold the cerebellar SA axis. Interestingly, we find these spatio-molecular profiles notably associated with neuropsychiatric dysfunction and recent evolution. Furthermore, cerebello-cerebral interactions at genetic and functional connectivity levels mirror the cerebral cortex and cerebellum's SA axis. These findings can provide a deeper understanding of how the human cerebellar SA axis is shaped and its role in transitioning from sensorimotor to association functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaping Wang
- Sino-Danish Center, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China; Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Yufan Wang
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Haiyan Wang
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Liang Ma
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Simon B Eickhoff
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7: Brain and Behaviour), Research Centre Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany; Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Kristoffer Hougaard Madsen
- Sino-Danish Center, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China; Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark; Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital-Amager and Hvidovre, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark
| | - Congying Chu
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.
| | - Lingzhong Fan
- Sino-Danish Center, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China; Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China; School of Health and Life Sciences, University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Qingdao 266000, China.
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3
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Labra N, Mounier A, Leprince Y, Rivière D, Didier M, Bardinet E, Santin MD, Mangin JF, Filippo A, Albessard‐Ball L, Beaudet A, Broadfield D, Bruner E, Carlson KJ, Cofran Z, Falk D, Gilissen E, Gómez‐Robles A, Neubauer S, Pearson A, Röding C, Zhang Y, Balzeau A. What do brain endocasts tell us? A comparative analysis of the accuracy of sulcal identification by experts and perspectives in palaeoanthropology. J Anat 2024; 244:274-296. [PMID: 37935387 PMCID: PMC10780157 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Palaeoneurology is a complex field as the object of study, the brain, does not fossilize. Studies rely therefore on the (brain) endocranial cast (often named endocast), the only available and reliable proxy for brain shape, size and details of surface. However, researchers debate whether or not specific marks found on endocasts correspond reliably to particular sulci and/or gyri of the brain that were imprinted in the braincase. The aim of this study is to measure the accuracy of sulcal identification through an experiment that reproduces the conditions that palaeoneurologists face when working with hominin endocasts. We asked 14 experts to manually identify well-known foldings in a proxy endocast that was obtained from an MRI of an actual in vivo Homo sapiens head. We observe clear differences in the results when comparing the non-corrected labels (the original labels proposed by each expert) with the corrected labels. This result illustrates that trying to reconstruct a sulcus following the very general known shape/position in the literature or from a mean specimen may induce a bias when looking at an endocast and trying to follow the marks observed there. We also observe that the identification of sulci appears to be better in the lower part of the endocast compared to the upper part. The results concerning specific anatomical traits have implications for highly debated topics in palaeoanthropology. Endocranial description of fossil specimens should in the future consider the variation in position and shape of sulci in addition to using models of mean brain shape. Moreover, it is clear from this study that researchers can perceive sulcal imprints with reasonably high accuracy, but their correct identification and labelling remains a challenge, particularly when dealing with extinct species for which we lack direct knowledge of the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Labra
- Département Homme et EnvironnementUMR 7194, CNRS, PaleoFED Team, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelleParisFrance
| | - Aurélien Mounier
- Département Homme et EnvironnementUMR 7194, CNRS, PaleoFED Team, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelleParisFrance
- Turkana Basin InstituteNairobiKenya
| | - Yann Leprince
- Université Paris‐Saclay, CEA, CNRS UMR 9027, Baobab, NeuroSpinGif‐sur‐YvetteFrance
| | - Denis Rivière
- Université Paris‐Saclay, CEA, CNRS UMR 9027, Baobab, NeuroSpinGif‐sur‐YvetteFrance
| | - Mélanie Didier
- ICM—Institut du Cerveau, Hôpital Pitié‐Salpêtrière, Centre de NeuroImagerie de Recherche—CENIRParisFrance
| | - Eric Bardinet
- ICM—Institut du Cerveau, Hôpital Pitié‐Salpêtrière, Centre de NeuroImagerie de Recherche—CENIRParisFrance
| | - Mathieu D. Santin
- ICM—Institut du Cerveau, Hôpital Pitié‐Salpêtrière, Centre de NeuroImagerie de Recherche—CENIRParisFrance
| | - Jean François Mangin
- Université Paris‐Saclay, CEA, CNRS UMR 9027, Baobab, NeuroSpinGif‐sur‐YvetteFrance
| | - Andréa Filippo
- Département Homme et EnvironnementUMR 7194, CNRS, PaleoFED Team, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelleParisFrance
| | - Lou Albessard‐Ball
- Département Homme et EnvironnementUMR 7194, CNRS, PaleoFED Team, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelleParisFrance
- Department of ArchaeologyPalaeoHub, University of YorkYorkUK
| | - Amélie Beaudet
- Laboratoire de Paléontologie, Évolution, Paléoécosystèmes et Paléoprimatologie (PALEVOPRIM), UMR 7262 CNRSUniversité de PoitiersPoitiersFrance
| | | | - Emiliano Bruner
- Paleobiología, Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución HumanaBurgosSpain
| | - Kristian J. Carlson
- Evolutionary Studies InstituteUniversity of the Witwatersrand, Palaeosciences CentreJohannesburgSouth Africa
- Department of Integrative Anatomical Sciences, Keck School of MedicineUniversity of Southern CaliforniaCaliforniaLos AngelesUSA
| | - Zachary Cofran
- Anthropology DepartmentVassar CollegePoughkeepsieNew YorkUSA
| | - Dean Falk
- Department of AnthropologyFlorida State UniversityTallahasseeFloridaUSA
| | - Emmanuel Gilissen
- Department of African ZoologyRoyal Museum for Central AfricaTervurenBelgium
| | | | - Simon Neubauer
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell BiologyJohannes Kepler University LinzLinzAustria
| | - Alannah Pearson
- School of Archaeology and AnthropologyAustralian National UniversityCanberraAustralian Capital TerritoryAustralia
| | - Carolin Röding
- Paleoanthropology, Institute for Archaeological Sciences and Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and PaleoenvironmentEberhard Karls University of TübingenTübingenGermany
| | - Yameng Zhang
- Institute of Cultural HeritageShandong UniversityQingdaoShandongChina
| | - Antoine Balzeau
- Département Homme et EnvironnementUMR 7194, CNRS, PaleoFED Team, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelleParisFrance
- Department of African ZoologyRoyal Museum for Central AfricaTervurenBelgium
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Kautt AF, Chen J, Lewarch CL, Hu C, Turner K, Lassance JM, Baier F, Bedford NL, Bendesky A, Hoekstra HE. Evolution of gene expression across brain regions in behaviourally divergent deer mice. Mol Ecol 2024:e17270. [PMID: 38263608 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
The evolution of innate behaviours is ultimately due to genetic variation likely acting in the nervous system. Gene regulation may be particularly important because it can evolve in a modular brain-region specific fashion through the concerted action of cis- and trans-regulatory changes. Here, to investigate transcriptional variation and its regulatory basis across the brain, we perform RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) on ten brain subregions in two sister species of deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus and P. polionotus)-which differ in a range of innate behaviours, including their social system-and their F1 hybrids. We find that most of the variation in gene expression distinguishes subregions, followed by species. Interspecific differential expression (DE) is pervasive (52-59% of expressed genes), whereas the number of DE genes between sexes is modest overall (~3%). Interestingly, the identity of DE genes varies considerably across brain regions. Much of this modularity is due to cis-regulatory divergence, and while 43% of genes were consistently assigned to the same gene regulatory class across subregions (e.g. conserved, cis- or trans-regulatory divergence), a similar number were assigned to two or more different gene regulatory classes. Together, these results highlight the modularity of gene expression differences and divergence in the brain, which may be key to explain how the evolution of brain gene expression can contribute to the astonishing diversity of animal behaviours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas F Kautt
- Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jenny Chen
- Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Caitlin L Lewarch
- Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Caroline Hu
- Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kyle Turner
- Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jean-Marc Lassance
- Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Felix Baier
- Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Nicole L Bedford
- Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Andres Bendesky
- Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Hopi E Hoekstra
- Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
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5
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Luu P, Tucker DM, Friston K. From active affordance to active inference: vertical integration of cognition in the cerebral cortex through dual subcortical control systems. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhad458. [PMID: 38044461 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
In previous papers, we proposed that the dorsal attention system's top-down control is regulated by the dorsal division of the limbic system, providing a feedforward or impulsive form of control generating expectancies during active inference. In contrast, we proposed that the ventral attention system is regulated by the ventral limbic division, regulating feedback constraints and error-correction for active inference within the neocortical hierarchy. Here, we propose that these forms of cognitive control reflect vertical integration of subcortical arousal control systems that evolved for specific forms of behavior control. The feedforward impetus to action is regulated by phasic arousal, mediated by lemnothalamic projections from the reticular activating system of the lower brainstem, and then elaborated by the hippocampus and dorsal limbic division. In contrast, feedback constraint-based on environmental requirements-is regulated by the tonic activation furnished by collothalamic projections from the midbrain arousal control centers, and then sustained and elaborated by the amygdala, basal ganglia, and ventral limbic division. In an evolutionary-developmental analysis, understanding these differing forms of active affordance-for arousal and motor control within the subcortical vertebrate neuraxis-may help explain the evolution of active inference regulating the cognition of expectancy and error-correction within the mammalian 6-layered neocortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phan Luu
- Brain Electrophysiology Laboratory Company, Riverfront Research Park, 1776 Millrace Dr., Eugene, OR 97403, United States
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, United States
| | - Don M Tucker
- Brain Electrophysiology Laboratory Company, Riverfront Research Park, 1776 Millrace Dr., Eugene, OR 97403, United States
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, United States
| | - Karl Friston
- The Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3AR, United Kingdom
- VERSES AI Research Lab, Los Angeles, CA 90016, USA
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Kotrschal K. [On the Evolutionary, Bio-Psychological Foundations of the Human-Animal Relationship]. Prax Kinderpsychol Kinderpsychiatr 2023; 72:666-684. [PMID: 38051058 DOI: 10.13109/prkk.2023.72.8.666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
Ever since, people live in contact with nature and animals, even in relatively non-utilitarian ways. Erich Fromm and Edward Wilson termed this human universal "Biophilia". But why different species can live together in a social way, is explained by a "common social toolbox" of neural, psychological and physiologicalmechanisms, which evolved over phylogeny.Major components of this toolbox are found in the vertebrate brain, which evolved over the past 600 million years in a succession of key innovations and conservative preservation.The tegmental and diencephalic brain hosts a 450 million year old, structurally and functionally virtually unchanged "social network" which, in crosstalk with the mammalian prefrontal cortex or the analogous bird forebrain, enables complex social behaviour - within as well as between species. In addition, this toolbox features common principles of behavioural organization, including the expression and reading of emotions, as well as shared emotional, stress and calming systems. Such a common ground for social behaviour also explains the potential effectiveness of animal-assisted interventions in a wide range of pedagogic and therapeutic settings. However, positive effects aremostly revealed by experience and plausibility, whereas studies on animal- assisted activities and interventions according to biomedical scientific standards are still rare.
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Stone J, Mitrofanis J, Johnstone DM, Robinson SR. Twelve protections evolved for the brain, and their roles in extending its functional life. Front Neuroanat 2023; 17:1280275. [PMID: 38020212 PMCID: PMC10657866 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2023.1280275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
As human longevity has increased, we have come to understand the ability of the brain to function into advanced age, but also its vulnerability with age, apparent in the age-related dementias. Against that background of success and vulnerability, this essay reviews how the brain is protected by (by our count) 12 mechanisms, including: the cranium, a bony helmet; the hydraulic support given by the cerebrospinal fluid; the strategically located carotid body and sinus, which provide input to reflexes that protect the brain from blood-gas imbalance and extremes of blood pressure; the blood brain barrier, an essential sealing of cerebral vessels; the secretion of molecules such as haemopexin and (we argue) the peptide Aβ to detoxify haemoglobin, at sites of a bleed; autoregulation of the capillary bed, which stabilises metabolites in extracellular fluid; fuel storage in the brain, as glycogen; oxygen storage, in the haemoprotein neuroglobin; the generation of new neurones, in the adult, to replace cells lost; acquired resilience, the stress-induced strengthening of cell membranes and energy production found in all body tissues; and cognitive reserve, the ability of the brain to maintain function despite damage. Of these 12 protections, we identify 5 as unique to the brain, 3 as protections shared with all body tissues, and another 4 as protections shared with other tissues but specialised for the brain. These protections are a measure of the brain's vulnerability, of its need for protection. They have evolved, we argue, to maintain cognitive function, the ability of the brain to function despite damage that accumulates during life. Several can be tools in the hands of the individual, and of the medical health professional, for the lifelong care of our brains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Stone
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
| | - John Mitrofanis
- Grenoble and Institute of Ophthalmology, Fonds de Dotation Clinatec, Université Grenoble Alpes, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel M. Johnstone
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, University of Newcastle and School of Medical Sciences, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
| | - Stephen R. Robinson
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia
- Institute for Breathing and Sleep, Austin Health, Heidelberg, VIC, Australia
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Meng X, Lin Q, Zeng X, Jiang J, Li M, Luo X, Chen K, Wu H, Hu Y, Liu C, Su B. Brain developmental and cortical connectivity changes in transgenic monkeys carrying the human-specific duplicated gene SRGAP2C. Natl Sci Rev 2023; 10:nwad281. [PMID: 38090550 PMCID: PMC10712708 DOI: 10.1093/nsr/nwad281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Human-specific duplicated genes contributed to phenotypic innovations during the origin of our own species, such as an enlarged brain and highly developed cognitive abilities. While prior studies on transgenic mice carrying the human-specific SRGAP2C gene have shown enhanced brain connectivity, the relevance to humans remains unclear due to the significant evolutionary gap between humans and rodents. In this study, to investigate the phenotypic outcome and underlying genetic mechanism of SRGAP2C, we generated transgenic cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis) carrying the human-specific SRGAP2C gene. Longitudinal MRI imaging revealed delayed brain development with region-specific volume changes, accompanied by altered myelination levels in the temporal and occipital regions. On a cellular level, the transgenic monkeys exhibited increased deep-layer neurons during fetal neurogenesis and delayed synaptic maturation in adolescence. Moreover, transcriptome analysis detected neotenic expression in molecular pathways related to neuron ensheathment, synaptic connections, extracellular matrix and energy metabolism. Cognitively, the transgenic monkeys demonstrated improved motor planning and execution skills. Together, our findings provide new insights into the mechanisms by which the newly evolved gene shapes the unique development and circuitry of the human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
- National Resource Center for Non-Human Primates, Kunming Primate Research Center, and National Research Facility for Phenotypic and Genetic Analysis of Model Animals (Primate Facility), Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650107, China
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Qiang Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
| | - Xuerui Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
- National Resource Center for Non-Human Primates, Kunming Primate Research Center, and National Research Facility for Phenotypic and Genetic Analysis of Model Animals (Primate Facility), Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650107, China
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Jin Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
| | - Min Li
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
| | - Xin Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
- National Resource Center for Non-Human Primates, Kunming Primate Research Center, and National Research Facility for Phenotypic and Genetic Analysis of Model Animals (Primate Facility), Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650107, China
| | - Kaimin Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
- National Resource Center for Non-Human Primates, Kunming Primate Research Center, and National Research Facility for Phenotypic and Genetic Analysis of Model Animals (Primate Facility), Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650107, China
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Haixu Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
- National Resource Center for Non-Human Primates, Kunming Primate Research Center, and National Research Facility for Phenotypic and Genetic Analysis of Model Animals (Primate Facility), Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650107, China
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Yan Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
| | - Cirong Liu
- Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Bing Su
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
- National Resource Center for Non-Human Primates, Kunming Primate Research Center, and National Research Facility for Phenotypic and Genetic Analysis of Model Animals (Primate Facility), Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650107, China
- Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
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Hui J, Balzeau A. The diploic venous system in Homo neanderthalensis and fossil Homo sapiens: A study using high-resolution computed tomography. Am J Biol Anthropol 2023; 182:412-427. [PMID: 37747127 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The diploic venous system has been hypothesized to be related to human brain evolution, though its evolutionary trajectory and physiological functions remain largely unclear. This study examines the characteristics of the diploic venous channels (DCs) in a selection of well-preserved Homo neanderthalensis and Upper Paleolithic Homo sapiens crania, searching for the differences between the two taxa and exploring the associations between brain anatomy and DCs. MATERIALS AND METHODS Five H. neanderthalensis and four H. sapiens fossil specimens from Western Europe were analyzed. Based on Micro-CT scanning and 3D reconstruction, the distribution pattern and draining orifices of the DCs were inspected qualitatively. The size of the DCs was quantified by volume calculation, and the degree of complexity was quantified by fractal analyses. RESULTS High-resolution data show the details of the DC structures not documented in previous studies. H. neanderthalensis and H. sapiens specimens share substantial similarities in the DCs. The noticeable differences between the two samples manifest in the connecting points surrounding the frontal sinuses, parietal foramina, and asterional area. DISCUSSION This study provides a better understanding of the anatomy of the DCs in H. neanderthalensis and H. sapiens. The connection patterns of the DCs have potential utility in distinguishing between the two taxa and in the phylogenetic and taxonomic discussion of the Neandertal-like specimens with controversial taxonomic status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaming Hui
- PaleoFED team, UMR 7194 Histoire Naturelle de l'Homme Préhistorique, CNRS, Département Homme et Environnement, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris, France
- Ecole Doctorale 227 Sciences de la nature et de l'Homme : évolution et écologie, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Antoine Balzeau
- PaleoFED team, UMR 7194 Histoire Naturelle de l'Homme Préhistorique, CNRS, Département Homme et Environnement, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris, France
- Department of African Zoology, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium
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10
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Abstract
Perineuronal nets (PNNs) are specialized structures of the extracellular matrix that surround the soma and proximal dendrites of certain neurons in the central nervous system, particularly parvalbumin-expressing interneurons. Their appearance overlaps the maturation of neuronal circuits and the closure of critical periods in different regions of the brain, setting their connectivity and abruptly reducing their plasticity. As a consequence, the digestion of PNNs, as well as the removal or manipulation of their components, leads to a boost in this plasticity and can play a key role in the functional recovery from different insults and in the etiopathology of certain neurologic and psychiatric disorders. Here we review the structure, composition, and distribution of PNNs and their variation throughout the evolutive scale. We also discuss methodological approaches to study these structures. The function of PNNs during neurodevelopment and adulthood is discussed, as well as the influence of intrinsic and extrinsic factors on these specialized regions of the extracellular matrix. Finally, we review current data on alterations in PNNs described in diseases of the central nervous system (CNS), focusing on psychiatric disorders. Together, all the data available point to the PNNs as a promising target to understand the physiology and pathologic conditions of the CNS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Héctor Carceller
- Neurobiology Unit, Institute for Biotechnology and Biomedicine (BIOTECMED), University of Valencia, Spain
- CIBERSAM, Spanish National Network for Research in Mental Health, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Biomedical Imaging Unit FISABIO-CIPF, Fundación para el Fomento de la Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de la Comunidad Valenciana, Valencia, Spain
| | - Yaiza Gramuntell
- Neurobiology Unit, Institute for Biotechnology and Biomedicine (BIOTECMED), University of Valencia, Spain
| | - Patrycja Klimczak
- Neurobiology Unit, Institute for Biotechnology and Biomedicine (BIOTECMED), University of Valencia, Spain
- CIBERSAM, Spanish National Network for Research in Mental Health, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan Nacher
- Neurobiology Unit, Institute for Biotechnology and Biomedicine (BIOTECMED), University of Valencia, Spain
- CIBERSAM, Spanish National Network for Research in Mental Health, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Fundación Investigación Hospital Clínico de Valencia, INCLIVA, Valencia, Spain
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11
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Friederici AD. Evolutionary neuroanatomical expansion of Broca's region serving a human-specific function. Trends Neurosci 2023; 46:786-796. [PMID: 37596132 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2023.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023]
Abstract
The question concerning the evolution of language is directly linked to the debate on whether language and action are dependent or not and to what extent Broca's region serves as a common neural basis. The debate resulted in two opposing views, one arguing for and one against the dependence of language and action mainly based on neuroscientific data. This article presents an evolutionary neuroanatomical framework which may offer a solution to this dispute. It is proposed that in humans, Broca's region houses language and action independently in spatially separated subregions. This became possible due to an evolutionary expansion of Broca's region in the human brain, which was not paralleled by a similar expansion in the chimpanzee's brain, providing additional space needed for the neural representation of language in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela D Friederici
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Department of Neuropsychology, Stephanstraße 1A, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
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12
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Posnien N, Hunnekuhl VS, Bucher G. Gene expression mapping of the neuroectoderm across phyla - conservation and divergence of early brain anlagen between insects and vertebrates. eLife 2023; 12:e92242. [PMID: 37750868 PMCID: PMC10522337 DOI: 10.7554/elife.92242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Gene expression has been employed for homologizing body regions across bilateria. The molecular comparison of vertebrate and fly brains has led to a number of disputed homology hypotheses. Data from the fly Drosophila melanogaster have recently been complemented by extensive data from the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum with its more insect-typical development. In this review, we revisit the molecular mapping of the neuroectoderm of insects and vertebrates to reconsider homology hypotheses. We claim that the protocerebrum is non-segmental and homologous to the vertebrate fore- and midbrain. The boundary between antennal and ocular regions correspond to the vertebrate mid-hindbrain boundary while the deutocerebrum represents the anterior-most ganglion with serial homology to the trunk. The insect head placode is shares common embryonic origin with the vertebrate adenohypophyseal placode. Intriguingly, vertebrate eyes develop from a different region compared to the insect compound eyes calling organ homology into question. Finally, we suggest a molecular re-definition of the classic concepts of archi- and prosocerebrum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nico Posnien
- Department of Developmental Biology, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute, University GoettingenGöttingenGermany
| | - Vera S Hunnekuhl
- Department of Evolutionary Developmental Genetics, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute, University of GöttingenGöttingenGermany
| | - Gregor Bucher
- Department of Evolutionary Developmental Genetics, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute, University of GöttingenGöttingenGermany
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13
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Reznik D, Trampel R, Weiskopf N, Witter MP, Doeller CF. Dissociating distinct cortical networks associated with subregions of the human medial temporal lobe using precision neuroimaging. Neuron 2023; 111:2756-2772.e7. [PMID: 37390820 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.05.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/02/2023]
Abstract
Tract-tracing studies in primates indicate that different subregions of the medial temporal lobe (MTL) are connected with multiple brain regions. However, no clear framework defining the distributed anatomy associated with the human MTL exists. This gap in knowledge originates in notoriously low MRI data quality in the anterior human MTL and in group-level blurring of idiosyncratic anatomy between adjacent brain regions, such as entorhinal and perirhinal cortices, and parahippocampal areas TH/TF. Using MRI, we intensively scanned four human individuals and collected whole-brain data with unprecedented MTL signal quality. Following detailed exploration of cortical networks associated with MTL subregions within each individual, we discovered three biologically meaningful networks associated with the entorhinal cortex, perirhinal cortex, and parahippocampal area TH, respectively. Our findings define the anatomical constraints within which human mnemonic functions must operate and are insightful for examining the evolutionary trajectory of the MTL connectivity across species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Reznik
- Department of Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Robert Trampel
- Department of Neurophysics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Nikolaus Weiskopf
- Department of Neurophysics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany; Felix Bloch Institute for Solid State Physics, Faculty of Physics and Earth Sciences, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Menno P Witter
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Centre for Neural Computation, Egil and Pauline Braathen and Fred Kavli Centre for Cortical Microcircuits, Jebsen Centre for Alzheimer's Disease, NTNU Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Christian F Doeller
- Department of Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany; Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Centre for Neural Computation, Egil and Pauline Braathen and Fred Kavli Centre for Cortical Microcircuits, Jebsen Centre for Alzheimer's Disease, NTNU Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway; Wilhelm Wundt Institute of Psychology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany; Department of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
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14
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Wang J, Ma S, Yu P, He X. Evolution of Human Brain Left-Right Asymmetry: Old Genes with New Functions. Mol Biol Evol 2023; 40:msad181. [PMID: 37561991 PMCID: PMC10473864 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msad181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2023] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The human brain is generally anatomically symmetrical, boasting mirror-like brain regions in the left and right hemispheres. Despite this symmetry, fine-scale structural asymmetries are prevalent and are believed to be responsible for distinct functional divisions within the brain. Prior studies propose that these asymmetric structures are predominantly primate specific or even unique to humans, suggesting that the genes contributing to the structural asymmetry of the human brain might have evolved recently. In our study, we identified approximately 1,500 traits associated with human brain asymmetry by collecting paired brain magnetic resonance imaging features from the UK Biobank. Each trait is measured in a specific region of one hemisphere and mirrored in the corresponding region of the other hemisphere. Conducting genome-wide association studies on these traits, we identified over 1,000 quantitative trait loci. Around these index single nucleotide polymorphisms, we found approximately 200 genes that are enriched in brain-related Gene Ontology terms and are predominantly upregulated in brain tissues. Interestingly, most of these genes are evolutionarily old, originating just prior to the emergence of Bilateria (bilaterally symmetrical animals) and Euteleostomi (bony vertebrates with a brain), at a significantly higher ratio than expected. Further analyses of these genes reveal a brain-specific upregulation in humans relative to other mammalian species. This suggests that the structural asymmetry of the human brain has been shaped by evolutionarily ancient genes that have assumed new functions over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianguo Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Sidi Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Peijie Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
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15
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Kotrschal K. Wolf-Dog-Human: Companionship Based on Common Social Tools. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2729. [PMID: 37684993 PMCID: PMC10486892 DOI: 10.3390/ani13172729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Wolves, dogs and humans share extremely social and cooperative minds. These similarities are rooted in phylogenetic homology and in the convergence of neuronal and physiological mechanisms, particularly the brain, in the functioning and communication of basic affects and in the mechanisms of stress and calming. The domesticated wolves called dogs are particularly close companion animals. Both Palaeolithic humans and wolves were hypercursorial hunters, cooperating in complex and prosocial ways within their clans with respect to hunting, raising offspring, and defending against conspecific and heterospecific competitors and predators. These eco-social parallels have shaped the development of similar social mindsets in wolves and humans. Over the millennia of domestication, this social match was fine-tuned, resulting in the socio-cognitive specialists humans and dogs, possessing amazingly similar social brains and minds. Therefore, it can be concluded that the quality of their relationships with their human masters is a major factor in the wellbeing, welfare and even health of dogs, as well as in the wellbeing of their human partners. Based on their strikingly similar social brains and physiologies, it can be further concluded that anthropomorphically applying human empathy to dogs in an educated manner may not be as inappropriate as previously thought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kurt Kotrschal
- Department of Behavioral & Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, 1030 Wien, Austria
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16
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Haines E, Bailey E, Nelson J, Fenlon LR, Suárez R. Clade-specific forebrain cytoarchitectures of the extinct Tasmanian tiger. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2306516120. [PMID: 37523567 PMCID: PMC10410726 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2306516120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The thylacine, or Tasmanian tiger, is the largest of modern-day carnivorous marsupials and was hunted to extinction by European settlers in Australia. Its physical resemblance to eutherian wolves is a striking example of evolutionary convergence to similar ecological niches. However, whether the neuroanatomical organization of the thylacine brain resembles that of canids and how it compares with other mammals remain unknown due to the scarcity of available samples. Here, we gained access to a century-old hematoxylin-stained histological series of a thylacine brain, digitalized it at high resolution, and compared its forebrain cellular architecture with 34 extant species of monotremes, marsupials, and eutherians. Phylogenetically informed comparisons of cortical folding, regional volumes, and cell sizes and densities across cortical areas and layers provide evidence against brain convergences with canids, instead demonstrating features typical of marsupials, and more specifically Dasyuridae, along with traits that scale similarly with brain size across mammals. Enlarged olfactory, limbic, and neocortical areas suggest a small-prey predator and/or scavenging lifestyle, similar to extant quolls and Tasmanian devils. These findings are consistent with a nonuniformity of trait convergences, with brain traits clustering more with phylogeny and head/body traits with lifestyle. By making this resource publicly available as rapid web-accessible, hierarchically organized, multiresolution images for perpetuity, we anticipate that additional comparative insights might arise from detailed studies of the thylacine brain and encourage researchers and curators to share, annotate, and preserve understudied material of outstanding biological relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Haines
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, QLD4072, Australia
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, QLD4072, Australia
| | - Evan Bailey
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, QLD4072, Australia
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, QLD4072, Australia
| | - John Nelson
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, VIC3800, Australia
| | - Laura R. Fenlon
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, QLD4072, Australia
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, QLD4072, Australia
| | - Rodrigo Suárez
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, QLD4072, Australia
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, QLD4072, Australia
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17
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Altbürger C, Holzhauser J, Driever W. CRISPR/Cas9-based QF2 knock-in at the tyrosine hydroxylase ( th) locus reveals novel th-expressing neuron populations in the zebrafish mid- and hindbrain. Front Neuroanat 2023; 17:1196868. [PMID: 37603776 PMCID: PMC10433395 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2023.1196868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Catecholaminergic neuron clusters are among the most conserved neuromodulatory systems in vertebrates, yet some clusters show significant evolutionary dynamics. Because of their disease relevance, special attention has been paid to mammalian midbrain dopaminergic systems, which have important functions in motor control, reward, motivation, and cognitive function. In contrast, midbrain dopaminergic neurons in teleosts were thought to be lost secondarily. Here, we generated a CRISPR/Cas9-based knock-in transgene at the th locus, which allows the expression of the Q-system transcription factor QF2 linked to the Tyrosine hydroxylase open reading frame by an E2A peptide. The QF2 knock-in allele still expresses Tyrosine hydroxylase in catecholaminergic neurons. Coexpression analysis of QF2 driven expression of QUAS fluorescent reporter transgenes and of th mRNA and Th protein revealed that essentially all reporter expressing cells also express Th/th. We also observed a small group of previously unidentified cells expressing the reporter gene in the midbrain and a larger group close to the midbrain-hindbrain boundary. However, we detected no expression of the catecholaminergic markers ddc, slc6a3, or dbh in these neurons, suggesting that they are not actively transmitting catecholamines. The identified neurons in the midbrain are located in a GABAergic territory. A coexpression analysis with anatomical markers revealed that Th-expressing neurons in the midbrain are located in the tegmentum and those close to the midbrain-hindbrain boundary are located in the hindbrain. Our data suggest that zebrafish may still have some evolutionary remnants of midbrain dopaminergic neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Altbürger
- Developmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Biology I, Albert Ludwigs University Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- CIBSS and BIOSS - Centres for Biological Signalling Studies, Albert Ludwigs University Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Jens Holzhauser
- Developmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Biology I, Albert Ludwigs University Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Driever
- Developmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Biology I, Albert Ludwigs University Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- CIBSS and BIOSS - Centres for Biological Signalling Studies, Albert Ludwigs University Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
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18
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Hebberecht L, Wainwright JB, Thompson C, Kershenbaum S, McMillan WO, Montgomery SH. Plasticity and genetic effects contribute to different axes of neural divergence in a community of mimetic Heliconius butterflies. J Evol Biol 2023; 36:1116-1132. [PMID: 37341138 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 03/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023]
Abstract
Changes in ecological preference, often driven by spatial and temporal variation in resource distribution, can expose populations to environments with divergent information content. This can lead to adaptive changes in the degree to which individuals invest in sensory systems and downstream processes, to optimize behavioural performance in different contexts. At the same time, environmental conditions can produce plastic responses in nervous system development and maturation, providing an alternative route to integrating neural and ecological variation. Here, we explore how these two processes play out across a community of Heliconius butterflies. Heliconius communities exhibit multiple Mullerian mimicry rings, associated with habitat partitioning across environmental gradients. These environmental differences have previously been linked to heritable divergence in brain morphology in parapatric species pairs. They also exhibit a unique dietary adaptation, known as pollen feeding, that relies heavily on learning foraging routes, or trap-lines, between resources, which implies an important environmental influence on behavioural development. By comparing brain morphology across 133 wild-caught and insectary-reared individuals from seven Heliconius species, we find strong evidence for interspecific variation in patterns of neural investment. These largely fall into two distinct patterns of variation; first, we find consistent patterns of divergence in the size of visual brain components across both wild and insectary-reared individuals, suggesting genetically encoded divergence in the visual pathway. Second, we find interspecific differences in mushroom body size, a central component of learning and memory systems, but only among wild caught individuals. The lack of this effect in common-garden individuals suggests an extensive role for developmental plasticity in interspecific variation in the wild. Finally, we illustrate the impact of relatively small-scale spatial effects on mushroom body plasticity by performing experiments altering the cage size and structure experienced by individual H. hecale. Our data provide a comprehensive survey of community level variation in brain structure, and demonstrate that genetic effects and developmental plasticity contribute to different axes of interspecific neural variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Hebberecht
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Gamboa, Panama
| | | | | | | | | | - Stephen H Montgomery
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Gamboa, Panama
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19
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Casanova EL. Ancient roots: A Cambrian explosion of autism susceptibility genes. Autism Res 2023; 16:1480-1487. [PMID: 37421164 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023]
Abstract
Functional gene groups often share unique evolutionary patterns. The present study addresses whether autism susceptibility genes, which frequently share functional overlap, display unusual gene age and conservation patterns compared to other gene groups. Using phylostratigraphically-derived and other genetic data, the investigator explores average gene age, Ohnolog status, evolutionary rate, variation intolerance, and numbers of protein-protein (PPI) interactions across autism susceptibility, nervous system, developmental regulatory, immune, housekeeping, and luxury gene groups. Autism susceptibility genes are unusually old compared to controls, many genes having radiated in the Cambrian period in early vertebrates from whole genome duplication events. They are also tightly conserved across the animal kingdom, are highly variation intolerant, and have more PPI than other genes-all features suggesting extreme dosage sensitivity. The results of the current study indicate that autism susceptibility genes display unique radiation and conservation patterns, which may be a reflection of the major transitions in nervous system evolution that were occurring in early animals and which are still foundational in brain development today.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily L Casanova
- Department of Psychology, Loyola University, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
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20
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Young FJ, Monllor M, McMillan WO, Montgomery SH. Patterns of host plant use do not explain mushroom body expansion in Heliconiini butterflies. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20231155. [PMID: 37491961 PMCID: PMC10369028 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.1155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The selective pressures leading to the elaboration of downstream, integrative processing centres, such as the mammalian neocortex or insect mushroom bodies, are often unclear. In Heliconius butterflies, the mushroom bodies are two to four times larger than those of their Heliconiini relatives, and the largest known in Lepidoptera. Heliconiini lay almost exclusively on Passiflora, which exhibit a remarkable diversity of leaf shape, and it has been suggested that the mushroom body expansion of Heliconius may have been driven by the cognitive demands of recognizing and learning leaf shapes of local host plants. We test this hypothesis using two complementary methods: (i) phylogenetic comparative analyses to test whether variation in mushroom body size is associated with the morphological diversity of host plants exploited across the Heliconiini; and (ii) shape-learning experiments using six Heliconiini species. We found that variation in the range of leaf morphologies used by Heliconiini was not associated with mushroom body volume. Similarly, we find interspecific differences in shape-learning ability, but Heliconius are not overall better shape learners than other Heliconiini. Together these results suggest that the visual recognition and learning of host plants was not a main factor driving the diversity of mushroom body size in this tribe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fletcher J Young
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Gamboa, Panama
- School of Biological Science, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | | | | | - Stephen H Montgomery
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Gamboa, Panama
- School of Biological Science, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
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21
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Zeng B, Liu Z, Lu Y, Zhong S, Qin S, Huang L, Zeng Y, Li Z, Dong H, Shi Y, Yang J, Dai Y, Ma Q, Sun L, Bian L, Han D, Chen Y, Qiu X, Wang W, Marín O, Wu Q, Wang Y, Wang X. The single-cell and spatial transcriptional landscape of human gastrulation and early brain development. Cell Stem Cell 2023:S1934-5909(23)00134-0. [PMID: 37192616 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2023.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
The emergence of the three germ layers and the lineage-specific precursor cells orchestrating organogenesis represent fundamental milestones during early embryonic development. We analyzed the transcriptional profiles of over 400,000 cells from 14 human samples collected from post-conceptional weeks (PCW) 3 to 12 to delineate the dynamic molecular and cellular landscape of early gastrulation and nervous system development. We described the diversification of cell types, the spatial patterning of neural tube cells, and the signaling pathways likely involved in transforming epiblast cells into neuroepithelial cells and then into radial glia. We resolved 24 clusters of radial glial cells along the neural tube and outlined differentiation trajectories for the main classes of neurons. Lastly, we identified conserved and distinctive features across species by comparing early embryonic single-cell transcriptomic profiles between humans and mice. This comprehensive atlas sheds light on the molecular mechanisms underlying gastrulation and early human brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; Changping Laboratory, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Zeyuan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; Changping Laboratory, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Yufeng Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Suijuan Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; Changping Laboratory, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Shenyue Qin
- Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, UK; MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Luwei Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yang Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100071, China
| | - Zixiao Li
- China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing 100070, China; Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100070, China; Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Big Data-Based Precision Medicine, Beihang University & Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Hao Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yingchao Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Guangdong Institute of Intelligence Science and Technology, Guangdong 519031, China
| | - Jialei Yang
- China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing 100070, China; Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100070, China
| | - Yalun Dai
- China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing 100070, China; Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100070, China
| | - Qiang Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Le Sun
- Beijing Institute of Brain Disorders, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Lihong Bian
- Department of Gynecology, Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100071, China
| | - Dan Han
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100070, China
| | - Youqiao Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Xin Qiu
- China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing 100070, China; Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100070, China
| | - Wei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Oscar Marín
- Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, UK; MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, UK.
| | - Qian Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; Changping Laboratory, Beijing 102206, China.
| | - Yongjun Wang
- China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing 100070, China; Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100070, China; Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Big Data-Based Precision Medicine, Beihang University & Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China.
| | - Xiaoqun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Beijing Institute of Brain Disorders, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China; Guangdong Institute of Intelligence Science and Technology, Guangdong 519031, China; Changping Laboratory, Beijing 102206, China; New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
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22
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Hecht EE, Barton SA, Rogers Flattery CN, Meza Meza A. The evolutionary neuroscience of domestication. Trends Cogn Sci 2023; 27:553-567. [PMID: 37087363 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2023.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/24/2023]
Abstract
How does domestication affect the brain? This question has broad relevance. Domesticated animals play important roles in human society, and substantial recent work has addressed the hypotheses that a domestication syndrome links phenotypes across species, including Homo sapiens. Surprisingly, however, neuroscience research on domestication remains largely disconnected from current knowledge about how and why brains change in evolution. This article aims to bridge that gap. Examination of recent research reveals some commonalities across species, but ultimately suggests that brain changes associated with domestication are complex and variable. We conclude that interactions between behavioral, metabolic, and life-history selection pressures, as well as the role the role of experience and environment, are currently largely overlooked and represent important directions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin E Hecht
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02171, USA.
| | - Sophie A Barton
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02171, USA
| | | | - Araceli Meza Meza
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02171, USA
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23
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Lozano D, Moreno N, Jiménez S, Chinarro A, Morona R, López JM. Distribution of the transcription factor islet-1 in the central nervous system of nonteleost actinopterygian fish: Relationship with cholinergic and catecholaminergic systems. J Comp Neurol 2023. [PMID: 37071579 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2023]
Abstract
Islet-1 (Isl1) is one of the most conserved transcription factors in the evolution of vertebrates, due to its continuing involvement in such important functions as the differentiation of motoneurons, among other essential roles in cell fate in the forebrain. Although its functions are thought to be similar in all vertebrates, the knowledge about the conservation of its expression pattern in the central nervous system goes as far as teleosts, leaving the basal groups of actinopterygian fishes overlooked, despite their important phylogenetic position. In order to assess the extent of its conservation among vertebrates, we studied its expression pattern in the central nervous system of selected nonteleost actinopterygian fishes. By means of immunohistochemical techniques, we analyzed the Isl1 expression in the brain, spinal cord, and sensory ganglia of the cranial nerves of young adult specimens of the cladistian species Polypterus senegalus and Erpetoichthys calabaricus, the chondrostean Acipenser ruthenus, and the holostean Lepisosteus oculatus. We also detected the presence of the transcription factor Orthopedia and the enzymes tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) to better locate all the immunoreactive structures in the different brain areas and to reveal the possible coexpression with Isl1. Numerous conserved features in the expression pattern of Isl1 were observed in these groups of fishes, such as populations of cells in the subpallial nuclei, preoptic area, subparaventricular and tuberal hypothalamic regions, prethalamus, epiphysis, cranial motor nuclei and sensory ganglia of the cranial nerves, and the ventral horn of the spinal cord. Double labeling of TH and Isl1 was observed in cells of the preoptic area, the subparaventricular and tuberal hypothalamic regions, and the prethalamus, while virtually all motoneurons in the hindbrain and the spinal cord coexpressed ChAT and Isl1. Altogether, these results show the high degree of conservation of the expression pattern of the transcription factor Isl1, not only among fish, but in the subsequent evolution of vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Lozano
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain
| | - Nerea Moreno
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sara Jiménez
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain
| | - Adrián Chinarro
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ruth Morona
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jesús M López
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain
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24
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Bruner E, Holloway R, Baab KL, Rogers MJ, Semaw S. The endocast from Dana Aoule North (DAN5/P1): A 1.5 million year-old human braincase from Gona, Afar, Ethiopia. Am J Biol Anthropol 2023; 181:206-215. [PMID: 36810873 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
The nearly complete cranium DAN5/P1 was found at Gona (Afar, Ethiopia), dated to 1.5-1.6 Ma, and assigned to the species Homo erectus. Its size is, nonetheless, particularly small for the known range of variation of this taxon, and the cranial capacity has been estimated as 598 cc. In this study, we analyzed a reconstruction of its endocranial cast, to investigate its paleoneurological features. The main anatomical traits of the endocast were described, and its morphology was compared with other fossil and modern human samples. The endocast shows most of the traits associated with less encephalized human taxa, like narrow frontal lobes and a simple meningeal vascular network with posterior parietal branches. The parietal region is relatively tall and rounded, although not especially large. Based on our set of measures, the general endocranial proportions are within the range of fossils included in the species Homo habilis or in the genus Australopithecus. Similarities with the genus Homo include a more posterior position of the frontal lobe relative to the cranial bones, and the general endocranial length and width when size is taken into account. This new specimen extends the known brain size variability of Homo ergaster/erectus, while suggesting that differences in gross brain proportions among early human species, or even between early humans and australopiths, were absent or subtle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emiliano Bruner
- Programa de Paleobiología, Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana, Burgos, Spain
| | - Ralph Holloway
- Department of Anthropology, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Karen L Baab
- Department of Anatomy, Midwestern University, Glendale, Arizona, USA
| | - Michael J Rogers
- Department of Anthropology, Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Sileshi Semaw
- Programa de Arqueología, Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana, Burgos, Spain.,Stone Age Institute, Gosport, Indiana, USA
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25
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Earl B. Humans, fish, spiders and bees inherited working memory and attention from their last common ancestor. Front Psychol 2023; 13:937712. [PMID: 36814887 PMCID: PMC9939904 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.937712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
All brain processes that generate behaviour, apart from reflexes, operate with information that is in an "activated" state. This activated information, which is known as working memory (WM), is generated by the effect of attentional processes on incoming information or information previously stored in short-term or long-term memory (STM or LTM). Information in WM tends to remain the focus of attention; and WM, attention and STM together enable information to be available to mental processes and the behaviours that follow on from them. WM and attention underpin all flexible mental processes, such as solving problems, making choices, preparing for opportunities or threats that could be nearby, or simply finding the way home. Neither WM nor attention are necessarily conscious, and both may have evolved long before consciousness. WM and attention, with similar properties, are possessed by humans, archerfish, and other vertebrates; jumping spiders, honey bees, and other arthropods; and members of other clades, whose last common ancestor (LCA) is believed to have lived more than 600 million years ago. It has been reported that very similar genes control the development of vertebrate and arthropod brains, and were likely inherited from their LCA. Genes that control brain development are conserved because brains generate adaptive behaviour. However, the neural processes that generate behaviour operate with the activated information in WM, so WM and attention must have existed prior to the evolution of brains. It is proposed that WM and attention are widespread amongst animal species because they are phylogenetically conserved mechanisms that are essential to all mental processing, and were inherited from the LCA of vertebrates, arthropods, and some other animal clades.
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26
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Davenport MH, Jarvis ED. Birdsong neuroscience and the evolutionary substrates of learned vocalization. Trends Neurosci 2023; 46:97-9. [PMID: 36517289 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2022.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Oscine songbirds have served as a model for speech and its evolution since the discovery that birds in this clade learn to produce their songs by imitating conspecifics. We discuss the initial characterization of neural substrates for song learning and highlight several avenues of neuroscientific, phylogenetic, and genomic research that have advanced our understanding of how songbirds evolved to produce this behavior.
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27
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James SS, Englund M, Bottom R, Perez R, Conner KE, Huffman KJ, Wilson SP, Krubitzer LA. Comparing the development of cortex-wide gene expression patterns between two species in a common reference frame. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2113896119. [PMID: 36201538 PMCID: PMC9564327 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2113896119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2021] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Advances in sequencing techniques have made comparative studies of gene expression a current focus for understanding evolutionary and developmental processes. However, insights into the spatial expression of genes have been limited by a lack of robust methodology. To overcome this obstacle, we developed methods and software tools for quantifying and comparing tissue-wide spatial patterns of gene expression within and between species. Here, we compare cortex-wide expression of RZRβ and Id2 mRNA across early postnatal development in mice and voles. We show that patterns of RZRβ expression in neocortical layer 4 are highly conserved between species but develop rapidly in voles and much more gradually in mice, who show a marked expansion in the relative size of the putative primary visual area across the first postnatal week. Patterns of Id2 expression, by contrast, emerge in a dynamic and layer-specific sequence that is consistent between the two species. We suggest that these differences in the development of neocortical patterning reflect the independent evolution of brains, bodies, and sensory systems in the 35 million years since their last common ancestor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian S. James
- Department of Psychology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, United Kingdom
| | - Mackenzie Englund
- Department of Psychology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616
| | - Riley Bottom
- Department of Psychology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521
| | - Roberto Perez
- Department of Psychology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521
| | - Kathleen E. Conner
- Department of Psychology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521
| | - Kelly J. Huffman
- Department of Psychology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521
| | - Stuart P. Wilson
- Department of Psychology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, United Kingdom
| | - Leah A. Krubitzer
- Department of Psychology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616
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28
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Abstract
Complex evolutionary dynamics have produced extensive variation in brain anatomy in the animal world. In guppies, Poecilia reticulata, brain size and anatomy have been extensively studied in the laboratory contributing to our understanding of brain evolution and the cognitive advantages that arise with brain anatomical variation. However, it is unclear whether these laboratory results can be translated to natural populations. Here, we study brain neuroanatomy and its relationship with sexual traits across 18 wild guppy populations in diverse environments. We found extensive variation in female and male relative brain size and brain region volumes across populations in different environment types and with varying degrees of predation risk. In contrast with laboratory studies, we found differences in allometric scaling of brain regions, leading to variation in brain region proportions across populations. Finally, we found an association between sexual traits, mainly the area of black patches and tail length, and brain size. Our results suggest differences in ecological conditions and sexual traits are associated with differences in brain size and brain regions volumes in the wild, as well as sexual dimorphisms in the brain's neuroanatomy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angie S. Reyes
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Los Andes, Bogota, Colombia
| | - Amaury Bittar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Los Andes, Bogota, Colombia
| | - Laura C. Ávila
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Los Andes, Bogota, Colombia
| | - Catalina Botia
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Los Andes, Bogota, Colombia
| | - Natalia P. Esmeral
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Los Andes, Bogota, Colombia
| | - Natasha I. Bloch
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Los Andes, Bogota, Colombia
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29
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Abstract
The platyrrhine family Cebidae (capuchin and squirrel monkeys) exhibit among the largest primate encephalization quotients. Each cebid lineage is also characterized by notable lineage-specific traits, with capuchins showing striking similarities to Hominidae such as high sensorimotor intelligence with tool use, advanced cognitive abilities, and behavioral flexibility. Here, we take a comparative genomics approach, performing genome-wide tests for positive selection across five cebid branches, to gain insight into major periods of cebid adaptive evolution. We uncover candidate targets of selection across cebid evolutionary history that may underlie the emergence of lineage-specific traits. Our analyses highlight shifting and sustained selective pressures on genes related to brain development, longevity, reproduction, and morphology, including evidence for cumulative and diversifying neurobiological adaptations across cebid evolution. In addition to generating a high-quality reference genome assembly for robust capuchins, our results lend to a better understanding of the adaptive diversification of this distinctive primate clade.
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30
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Kaluthantrige Don F, Kalebic N. Forebrain Organoids to Model the Cell Biology of Basal Radial Glia in Neurodevelopmental Disorders and Brain Evolution. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:917166. [PMID: 35774229 PMCID: PMC9237216 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.917166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The acquisition of higher intellectual abilities that distinguish humans from their closest relatives correlates greatly with the expansion of the cerebral cortex. This expansion is a consequence of an increase in neuronal cell production driven by the higher proliferative capacity of neural progenitor cells, in particular basal radial glia (bRG). Furthermore, when the proliferation of neural progenitor cells is impaired and the final neuronal output is altered, severe neurodevelopmental disorders can arise. To effectively study the cell biology of human bRG, genetically accessible human experimental models are needed. With the pioneering success to isolate and culture pluripotent stem cells in vitro, we can now routinely investigate the developing human cerebral cortex in a dish using three-dimensional multicellular structures called organoids. Here, we will review the molecular and cell biological features of bRG that have recently been elucidated using brain organoids. We will further focus on the application of this simple model system to study in a mechanistically actionable way the molecular and cellular events in bRG that can lead to the onset of various neurodevelopmental diseases.
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31
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Annona G, Ferran JL, De Luca P, Conte I, Postlethwait JH, D’Aniello S. Expression Pattern of nos1 in the Developing Nervous System of Ray-Finned Fish. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:918. [PMID: 35627303 PMCID: PMC9140475 DOI: 10.3390/genes13050918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Revised: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Fish have colonized nearly all aquatic niches, making them an invaluable resource to understand vertebrate adaptation and gene family evolution, including the evolution of complex neural networks and modulatory neurotransmitter pathways. Among ancient regulatory molecules, the gaseous messenger nitric oxide (NO) is involved in a wide range of biological processes. Because of its short half-life, the modulatory capability of NO is strictly related to the local activity of nitric oxide synthases (Nos), enzymes that synthesize NO from L-arginine, making the localization of Nos mRNAs a reliable indirect proxy for the location of NO action domains, targets, and effectors. Within the diversified actinopterygian nos paralogs, nos1 (alias nnos) is ubiquitously present as a single copy gene across the gnathostome lineage, making it an ideal candidate for comparative studies. To investigate variations in the NO system across ray-finned fish phylogeny, we compared nos1 expression patterns during the development of two well-established experimental teleosts (zebrafish and medaka) with an early branching holostean (spotted gar), an important evolutionary bridge between teleosts and tetrapods. Data reported here highlight both conserved expression domains and species-specific nos1 territories, confirming the ancestry of this signaling system and expanding the number of biological processes implicated in NO activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Annona
- Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms (BEOM), Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, 80121 Napoli, Italy
- Research Infrastructure for Marine Biological Resources Department (RIMAR), Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, 80121 Napoli, Italy;
| | - José Luis Ferran
- Department of Human Anatomy and Psychobiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Murcia, 30120 Murcia, Spain;
- Institute of Biomedical Research of Murcia—IMIB, Virgen de la Arrixaca University Hospital, 30120 Murcia, Spain
| | - Pasquale De Luca
- Research Infrastructure for Marine Biological Resources Department (RIMAR), Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, 80121 Napoli, Italy;
| | - Ivan Conte
- Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine, 80078 Pozzuoli, Italy;
- Department of Biology, University of Napoli Federico II, 80126 Napoli, Italy
| | | | - Salvatore D’Aniello
- Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms (BEOM), Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, 80121 Napoli, Italy
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32
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Farnworth MS, Bucher G, Hartenstein V. An atlas of the developing Tribolium castaneum brain reveals conservation in anatomy and divergence in timing to Drosophila melanogaster. J Comp Neurol 2022; 530:10.1002/cne.25335. [PMID: 35535818 PMCID: PMC9646932 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Revised: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Insect brains are formed by conserved sets of neural lineages whose fibers form cohesive bundles with characteristic projection patterns. Within the brain neuropil, these bundles establish a system of fascicles constituting the macrocircuitry of the brain. The overall architecture of the neuropils and the macrocircuitry appear to be conserved. However, variation is observed, for example, in size, shape, and timing of development. Unfortunately, the developmental and genetic basis of this variation is poorly understood, although the rise of new genetically tractable model organisms such as the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum allows the possibility to gain mechanistic insights. To facilitate such work, we present an atlas of the developing brain of T. castaneum, covering the first larval instar, the prepupal stage, and the adult, by combining wholemount immunohistochemical labeling of fiber bundles (acetylated tubulin) and neuropils (synapsin) with digital 3D reconstruction using the TrakEM2 software package. Upon comparing this anatomical dataset with the published work in Drosophila melanogaster, we confirm an overall high degree of conservation. Fiber tracts and neuropil fascicles, which can be visualized by global neuronal antibodies like antiacetylated tubulin in all invertebrate brains, create a rich anatomical framework to which individual neurons or other regions of interest can be referred to. The framework of a largely conserved pattern allowed us to describe differences between the two species with respect to parameters such as timing of neuron proliferation and maturation. These features likely reflect adaptive changes in developmental timing that govern the change from larval to adult brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max S Farnworth
- Department of Evolutionary Developmental Genetics, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute, GZMB, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Evolution of Brains and Behaviour lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Gregor Bucher
- Department of Evolutionary Developmental Genetics, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute, GZMB, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Volker Hartenstein
- Department of Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California/Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA
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33
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Casingal CR, Descant KD, Anton ES. Coordinating cerebral cortical construction and connectivity: Unifying influence of radial progenitors. Neuron 2022; 110:1100-1115. [PMID: 35216663 PMCID: PMC8989671 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.01.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Radial progenitor development and function lay the foundation for the construction of the cerebral cortex. Radial glial scaffold, through its functions as a source of neurogenic progenitors and neuronal migration guide, is thought to provide a template for the formation of the cerebral cortex. Emerging evidence is challenging this limited view. Intriguingly, radial glial scaffold may also play a role in axonal growth, guidance, and neuronal connectivity. Radial glial cells not only facilitate the generation, placement, and allocation of neurons in the cortex but also regulate how they wire up. The organization and function of radial glial cells may thus be a unifying feature of the developing cortex that helps to precisely coordinate the right patterns of neurogenesis, neuronal placement, and connectivity necessary for the emergence of a functional cerebral cortex. This perspective critically explores this emerging view and its impact in the context of human brain development and disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristine R Casingal
- UNC Neuroscience Center, the Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Katherine D Descant
- UNC Neuroscience Center, the Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - E S Anton
- UNC Neuroscience Center, the Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
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34
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Shiomi K. Possible link between brain size and flight mode in birds: Does soaring ease the energetic limitation of the brain? Evolution 2022; 76:649-657. [PMID: 34989401 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Elucidating determinants of interspecies variation in brain size has been a long-standing challenge in cognitive and evolutionary ecology. As the brain is an energetically expensive organ, energetic tradeoffs among organs are considered to play a key role in brain size evolution. This study examined the tradeoff between the brain and locomotion in birds by testing the relationship between brain size, flight modes with different energetic costs (flapping and soaring), and migratory behavior, using published data on the whole-brain mass of 2242 species. According to comparative analyses considering phylogeny and body mass, soarers, who can gain kinetic energy from wind shear or thermals and consequently save flight costs, have larger brains than flappers among migratory birds. Meanwhile, the brain size difference was not consistent in residents, and the size variation appeared much larger than that in migrants. In addition, the brain size of migratory birds was smaller than that of resident birds among flappers, whereas this property was not significant in soarers. Although further research is needed to draw a definitive conclusion, these findings provide further support for the energetic tradeoff of the brain with flight and migratory movements in birds and advance the idea that a locomotion mode with lower energetic cost could be a driver of encephalization during the evolution of the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kozue Shiomi
- Frontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8578, Japan.,Department of Ecological Developmental Adaptability Life Sciences, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8578, Japan
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35
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Pezzulo G, Parr T, Friston K. The evolution of brain architectures for predictive coding and active inference. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20200531. [PMID: 34957844 PMCID: PMC8710884 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
This article considers the evolution of brain architectures for predictive processing. We argue that brain mechanisms for predictive perception and action are not late evolutionary additions of advanced creatures like us. Rather, they emerged gradually from simpler predictive loops (e.g. autonomic and motor reflexes) that were a legacy from our earlier evolutionary ancestors-and were key to solving their fundamental problems of adaptive regulation. We characterize simpler-to-more-complex brains formally, in terms of generative models that include predictive loops of increasing hierarchical breadth and depth. These may start from a simple homeostatic motif and be elaborated during evolution in four main ways: these include the multimodal expansion of predictive control into an allostatic loop; its duplication to form multiple sensorimotor loops that expand an animal's behavioural repertoire; and the gradual endowment of generative models with hierarchical depth (to deal with aspects of the world that unfold at different spatial scales) and temporal depth (to select plans in a future-oriented manner). In turn, these elaborations underwrite the solution to biological regulation problems faced by increasingly sophisticated animals. Our proposal aligns neuroscientific theorising-about predictive processing-with evolutionary and comparative data on brain architectures in different animal species. This article is part of the theme issue 'Systems neuroscience through the lens of evolutionary theory'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Pezzulo
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National Research Council, Via S. Martino della Battaglia, 44, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Thomas Parr
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Karl Friston
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
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Abstract
The anthropoid primates are known for their intense sociality and large brain size. The idea that these might be causally related has given rise to a large body of work testing the 'social brain hypothesis'. Here, the emphasis has been placed on the political demands of social life, and the cognitive skills that would enable animals to track the machinations of other minds in metarepresentational ways. It seems to us that this position risks losing touch with the fact that brains primarily evolved to enable the control of action, which in turn leads us to downplay or neglect the importance of the physical body in a material world full of bodies and other objects. As an alternative, we offer a view of primate brain and social evolution that is grounded in the body and action, rather than minds and metarepresentation. This article is part of the theme issue 'Systems neuroscience through the lens of evolutionary theory'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise Barrett
- Department of Psychology, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Canada
| | - S. Peter Henzi
- Department of Psychology, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Canada
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Abstract
Mental terms—such as perception, cognition, action, emotion, as well as attention, memory, decision-making—are epistemically sterile. We support our thesis based on extensive comparative neuroanatomy knowledge of the organization of the vertebrate brain. Evolutionary pressures have moulded the central nervous system to promote survival. Careful characterization of the vertebrate brain shows that its architecture supports an enormous amount of communication and integration of signals, especially in birds and mammals. The general architecture supports a degree of ‘computational flexibility’ that enables animals to cope successfully with complex and ever-changing environments. Here, we suggest that the vertebrate neuroarchitecture does not respect the boundaries of standard mental terms, and propose that neuroscience should aim to unravel the dynamic coupling between large-scale brain circuits and complex, naturalistic behaviours. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Systems neuroscience through the lens of evolutionary theory’.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luiz Pessoa
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Loreta Medina
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Institut de Recerca Biomèdica de Lleida Fundació Dr. Pifarré (IRBLleida), University of Lleida, 25198 Lleida, Spain
| | - Ester Desfilis
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Institut de Recerca Biomèdica de Lleida Fundació Dr. Pifarré (IRBLleida), University of Lleida, 25198 Lleida, Spain
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Bryer MAH, Koopman SE, Cantlon JF, Piantadosi ST, MacLean EL, Baker JM, Beran MJ, Jones SM, Jordan KE, Mahamane S, Nieder A, Perdue BM, Range F, Stevens JR, Tomonaga M, Ujfalussy DJ, Vonk J. The evolution of quantitative sensitivity. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20200529. [PMID: 34957840 PMCID: PMC8710878 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability to represent approximate quantities appears to be phylogenetically widespread, but the selective pressures and proximate mechanisms favouring this ability remain unknown. We analysed quantity discrimination data from 672 subjects across 33 bird and mammal species, using a novel Bayesian model that combined phylogenetic regression with a model of number psychophysics and random effect components. This allowed us to combine data from 49 studies and calculate the Weber fraction (a measure of quantity representation precision) for each species. We then examined which cognitive, socioecological and biological factors were related to variance in Weber fraction. We found contributions of phylogeny to quantity discrimination performance across taxa. Of the neural, socioecological and general cognitive factors we tested, cortical neuron density and domain-general cognition were the strongest predictors of Weber fraction, controlling for phylogeny. Our study is a new demonstration of evolutionary constraints on cognition, as well as of a relation between species-specific neuron density and a particular cognitive ability. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Systems neuroscience through the lens of evolutionary theory’.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret A H Bryer
- Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.,Department of Psychology, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Sarah E Koopman
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St. Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9AJ, UK
| | - Jessica F Cantlon
- Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Steven T Piantadosi
- Department of Psychology, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Evan L MacLean
- School of Anthropology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA.,College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA
| | - Joseph M Baker
- Center for Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences Research, Division of Brain Sciences, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Michael J Beran
- Department of Psychology and Language Research Center, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302, USA
| | - Sarah M Jones
- Psychology Program, Berea College, Berea, KY 40403, USA
| | - Kerry E Jordan
- Department of Psychology, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA
| | - Salif Mahamane
- Behavioral and Social Sciences Department, Western Colorado University, Gunnison, CO 81231, USA
| | - Andreas Nieder
- Animal Physiology Unit, Institute of Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Bonnie M Perdue
- Department of Psychology, Agnes Scott College, Decatur, GA 30030, USA
| | - Friederike Range
- Domestication Lab, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Savoyenstrasse 1a, Vienna 1160, Austria
| | - Jeffrey R Stevens
- Department of Psychology and Center for Brain, Biology and Behavior, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
| | | | - Dorottya J Ujfalussy
- MTA-ELTE Comparative Ethology Research Group, Eötvös Loránd University of Sciences (ELTE), Budapest 1117, Hungary.,Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University of Sciences (ELTE), Budapest 1117, Hungary
| | - Jennifer Vonk
- Department of Psychology, Oakland University, Rochester, MI 48309, USA
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Hopkins WD, Westerhausen R, Schapiro S, Sherwood CC. Heritability in corpus callosum morphology and its association with tool use skill in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes): Reproducibility in two genetically isolated populations. Genes Brain Behav 2022; 21:e12784. [PMID: 35044083 PMCID: PMC8830772 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The corpus callosum (CC) is the major white matter tract connecting the left and right cerebral hemispheres. It has been hypothesized that individual variation in CC morphology is negatively associated with forebrain volume (FBV) and this accounts for variation in behavioral and brain asymmetries as well as sex differences. To test this hypothesis, CC surface area and thickness as well as FBV was quantified in 221 chimpanzees with known pedigrees. CC surface area, thickness and FBV were significantly heritable and phenotypically associated with each other; however, no significant genetic association was found between FBV, CC surface area and thickness. The CC surface area and thickness measures were also found to be significantly heritable in both chimpanzee cohorts as were phenotypic associations with variation in asymmetries in tool use skill, suggesting that these findings are reproducible. Finally, significant phenotypic and genetic associations were found between hand use skill and region-specific variation in CC surface area and thickness. These findings suggest that common genes may underlie individual differences in chimpanzee tool use skill and interhemispheric connectivity as manifest by variation in surface area and thickness within the anterior region of the CC.
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Affiliation(s)
- William D. Hopkins
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Michael E. Keeling Center for Comparative Medicine and ResearchUniversity of Texas M D Anderson Cancer CenterBastropTexasUSA
| | | | - Steve Schapiro
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Michael E. Keeling Center for Comparative Medicine and ResearchUniversity of Texas M D Anderson Cancer CenterBastropTexasUSA
- Department of Experimental MedicineUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
| | - Chet C. Sherwood
- Department of Anthropology and Center for the Advanced Study of Human PaleobiologyThe George Washington UniversityWashingtonDistrict of ColumbiaUSA
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Abstract
Humans are vocal modulators par excellence. This ability is supported in part by the dual representation of the laryngeal muscles in the motor cortex. Movement, however, is not the product of motor cortex alone but of a broader motor network. This network consists of brain regions that contain somatotopic maps that parallel the organization in motor cortex. We therefore present a novel hypothesis that the dual laryngeal representation is repeated throughout the broader motor network. In support of the hypothesis, we review existing literature that demonstrates the existence of network-wide somatotopy and present initial evidence for the hypothesis' plausibility. Understanding how this uniquely human phenotype in motor cortex interacts with broader brain networks is an important step toward understanding how humans evolved the ability to speak. We further suggest that this system may provide a means to study how individual components of the nervous system evolved within the context of neuronal networks. This article is part of the theme issue 'Voice modulation: from origin and mechanism to social impact (Part I)'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michel Belyk
- Department of Speech Hearing and Phonetic Sciences, University College London, London WC1N 1PJ, UK
- Department of Psychology, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, L39 4QP, UK
| | - Nicole Eichert
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain (FMRIB), Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Carolyn McGettigan
- Department of Speech Hearing and Phonetic Sciences, University College London, London WC1N 1PJ, UK
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Williams VM, Bhagwandin A, Swiegers J, Bertelsen MF, Hård T, Sherwood CC, Manger PR. Distribution of cholinergic neurons in the brains of a lar gibbon and a chimpanzee. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2021; 305:1516-1535. [PMID: 34837339 DOI: 10.1002/ar.24844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Using choline acetyltransferase immunohistochemistry, we describe the nuclear parcellation of the cholinergic system in the brains of two apes, a lar gibbon (Hylobates lar) and a chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes). The cholinergic nuclei observed in both apes studied are virtually identical to that observed in humans and show very strong similarity to the cholinergic nuclei observed in other primates and mammals more generally. One specific difference between humans and the two apes studied is that, with the specific choline acetyltransferase antibody used, the cholinergic pyramidal neurons observed in human cerebral cortex were not labeled. When comparing the two apes studied and humans to other primates, the presence of a greatly expanded cholinergic medullary tegmental field, and the presence of cholinergic neurons in the intermediate and dorsal horns of the cervical spinal cord are notable variations of the distribution of cholinergic neurons in apes compared to other primates. These neurons may play an important role in the modulation of ascending and descending neural transmissions through the spinal cord and caudal medulla, potentially related to the differing modes of locomotion in apes compared to other primates. Our observations also indicate that the average soma volume of the neurons forming the laterodorsal tegmental nucleus (LDT) is larger than those of the pedunculopontine nucleus (PPT) in both the lar gibbon and chimpanzee. This variability in soma volume appears to be related to the size of the adult derivatives of the alar and basal plate across mammalian species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria M Williams
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Adhil Bhagwandin
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.,Division of Clinical Anatomy and Biological Anthropology, Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Jordan Swiegers
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Mads F Bertelsen
- Centre for Zoo and Wild Animal Health, Copenhagen Zoo, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | | | - Chet C Sherwood
- Department of Anthropology and Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Paul R Manger
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
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42
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Chung WS, Kurniawan ND, Marshall NJ. Comparative brain structure and visual processing in octopus from different habitats. Curr Biol 2021; 32:97-110.e4. [PMID: 34798049 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.10.070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Revised: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Octopods are masters of camouflage and solve complex tasks, and their cognitive ability is said to approach that of some small mammals. Despite intense interest and some research progress, much of our knowledge of octopus neuroanatomy and its links to behavior and ecology comes from one coastal species, the European common octopus, Octopus vulgaris. Octopod species are found in habitats including complex coral reefs and the relatively featureless mid-water. There they encounter different selection pressures, may be nocturnal or diurnal, and are mostly solitary or partially social. How these different ecologies and behavioral differences influence the octopus central nervous system (CNS) remains largely unknown. Here we present a phylogenetically informed comparison between diurnal and nocturnal coastal and a deep-sea species using brain imaging techniques. This study shows that characteristic neuroanatomical changes are linked to their habits and habitats. Enlargement and division of the optic lobe as well as structural foldings and complexity in the underlying CNS are linked to behavioral adaptation (diurnal versus nocturnal; social versus solitary) and ecological niche (reef versus deep sea), but phylogeny may play a part also. The difference between solitary and social life is mirrored within the brain including the formation of multiple compartments (gyri) in the vertical lobe, which is likened to the vertebrate cortex. These findings continue the case for convergence between cephalopod and vertebrate brain structure and function. Notably, within the current push toward comparisons of cognitive abilities, often with unashamed anthropomorphism at their root, these findings provide a firm grounding from which to work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Sung Chung
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
| | - Nyoman D Kurniawan
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - N Justin Marshall
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
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43
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Williams VM, Bhagwandin A, Swiegers J, Bertelsen MF, Hård T, Sherwood CC, Manger PR. Nuclear organization of serotonergic neurons in the brainstems of a lar gibbon and a chimpanzee. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2021; 305:1500-1515. [PMID: 34605203 DOI: 10.1002/ar.24795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Revised: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
In the current study, we detail, through the analysis of immunohistochemically stained sections, the morphology and nuclear parcellation of the serotonergic neurons present in the brainstem of a lar gibbon and a chimpanzee. In general, the neuronal morphology and nuclear organization of the serotonergic system in the brains of these two species of apes follow that observed in a range of Eutherian mammals and are specifically very similar to that observed in other species of primates. In both of the apes studied, the serotonergic nuclei could be readily divided into two distinct groups, a rostral and a caudal cluster, which are found from the level of the decussation of the superior cerebellar peduncle to the spinomedullary junction. The rostral cluster is comprised of the caudal linear, supralemniscal, and median raphe nuclei, as well as the six divisions of the dorsal raphe nuclear complex. The caudal cluster contains several distinct nuclei and nuclear subdivisions, including the raphe magnus nucleus and associated rostral and caudal ventrolateral (CVL) serotonergic groups, the raphe pallidus, and raphe obscurus nuclei. The one deviation in organization observed in comparison to other primate species is an expansion of both the number and distribution of neurons belonging to the lateral division of the dorsal raphe nucleus in the chimpanzee. It is unclear whether this expansion occurs in humans, thus at present, this expansion sets the chimpanzee apart from other primates studied to date.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria M Williams
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa
| | - Adhil Bhagwandin
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa.,Division of Clinical Anatomy and Biological Anthropology, Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Jordan Swiegers
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa
| | - Mads F Bertelsen
- Centre for Zoo and Wild Animal Health, Copenhagen Zoo, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | | | - Chet C Sherwood
- Department of Anthropology and Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Paul R Manger
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa
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Sobrido-Cameán D, Anadón R, Barreiro-Iglesias A. Expression of Urocortin 3 mRNA in the Central Nervous System of the Sea Lamprey Petromyzon marinus. Biology (Basel) 2021; 10:biology10100978. [PMID: 34681077 PMCID: PMC8533218 DOI: 10.3390/biology10100978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we analyzed the organization of urocortin 3 (Ucn3)-expressing neuronal populations in the brain of the adult sea lamprey by means of in situ hybridization. We also studied the brain of larval sea lampreys to establish whether this prosocial neuropeptide is expressed differentially in two widely different phases of the sea lamprey life cycle. In adult sea lampreys, Ucn3 transcript expression was observed in neurons of the striatum, prethalamus, nucleus of the medial longitudinal fascicle, torus semicircularis, isthmic reticular formation, interpeduncular nucleus, posterior rhombencephalic reticular formation and nucleus of the solitary tract. Interestingly, in larval sea lampreys, only three regions showed Ucn3 expression, namely the prethalamus, the nucleus of the medial longitudinal fascicle and the posterior rhombencephalic reticular formation. A comparison with distributions of Ucn3 in other vertebrates revealed poor conservation of Ucn3 expression during vertebrate evolution. The large qualitative differences in Ucn3 expression observed between larval and adult phases suggest that the maturation of neuroregulatory circuits in the striatum, torus semicircularis and hindbrain chemosensory systems is closely related to profound life-style changes occurring after the transformation from larval to adult life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Sobrido-Cameán
- Department of Functional Biology, CIBUS, Faculty of Biology, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (D.S.-C.); (R.A.)
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Ramón Anadón
- Department of Functional Biology, CIBUS, Faculty of Biology, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (D.S.-C.); (R.A.)
| | - Antón Barreiro-Iglesias
- Department of Functional Biology, CIBUS, Faculty of Biology, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (D.S.-C.); (R.A.)
- Correspondence:
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López JM, Jiménez S, Morona R, Lozano D, Moreno N. Analysis of Islet-1, Nkx2.1, Pax6, and Orthopedia in the forebrain of the sturgeon Acipenser ruthenus identifies conserved prosomeric characteristics. J Comp Neurol 2021; 530:834-855. [PMID: 34547112 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Revised: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The distribution patterns of a set of conserved brain developmental regulatory transcription factors were analyzed in the forebrain of the basal actinopterygian fish Acipenser ruthenus, consistent with the prosomeric model. In the telencephalon, the pallium was characterized by ventricular expression of Pax6. In the subpallium, the combined expression of Nkx2.1/Islet-1 (Isl1) allowed to propose ventral and dorsal areas, as the septo-pallidal (Nkx2.1/Isl1+) and striatal derivatives (Isl1+), respectively, and a dorsal portion of the striatal derivatives, ventricularly rich in Pax6 and devoid of Isl1 expression. Dispersed Orthopedia (Otp) cells were found in the supracommissural and posterior nuclei of the ventral telencephalon, related to the medial portion of the amygdaloid complex. The preoptic area was identified by the Nkx2.1/Isl1 expression. In the alar hypothalamus, an Otp-expressing territory, lacking Nkx2.1/Isl1, was identified as the paraventricular domain. The adjacent subparaventricular domain (Spa) was subdivided in a rostral territory expressing Nkx2.1 and an Isl1+ caudal one. In the basal hypothalamus, the tuberal region was defined by the Nkx2.1/Isl1 expression and a rostral Otp-expressing domain was identified. Moreover, the Otp/Nkx2.1 combination showed an additional zone lacking Isl1, tentatively identified as the mamillary area. In the diencephalon, both Pax6 and Isl1 defined the prethalamic domain, and within the basal prosomere 3, scattered Pax6- and Isl1-expressing cells were observed in the posterior tubercle. Finally, a small group of Pax6 cells was observed in the pretectal area. These results improve the understanding of the forebrain evolution and demonstrate that its basic bauplan is present very early in the vertebrate lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesús M López
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sara Jiménez
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ruth Morona
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain
| | - Daniel Lozano
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain
| | - Nerea Moreno
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain
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Williams VM, Bhagwandin A, Swiegers J, Bertelsen MF, Hård T, Thannickal TC, Siegel JM, Sherwood CC, Manger PR. Nuclear organization of orexinergic neurons in the hypothalamus of a lar gibbon and a chimpanzee. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2021; 305:1459-1475. [PMID: 34535040 DOI: 10.1002/ar.24775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Employing orexin-A immunohistochemical staining we describe the nuclear parcellation of orexinergic neurons in the hypothalami of a lar gibbon and a chimpanzee. The clustering of orexinergic neurons within the hypothalamus and the terminal networks follow the patterns generally observed in other mammals, including laboratory rodents, strepsirrhine primates and humans. The orexinergic neurons were found within three distinct clusters in the ape hypothalamus, which include the main cluster, zona incerta cluster and optic tract cluster. In addition, the orexinergic neurons of the optic tract cluster appear to extend to a more rostral and medial location than observed in other species, being observed in the tuberal region in the anterior ventromedial aspect of the hypothalamus. While orexinergic terminal networks were observed throughout the brain, high density terminal networks were observed within the hypothalamus, medial and intralaminar nuclei of the dorsal thalamus, and within the serotonergic and noradrenergic regions of the midbrain and pons, which is typical for mammals. The expanded distribution of orexinergic neurons into the tuberal region of the ape hypothalamus, is a feature that needs to be investigated in other primate species, but appears to correlate with orexin gene expression in the same region of the human hypothalamus, but these neurons are not revealed with immunohistochemical staining in humans. Thus, it appears that apes have a broader distribution of orexinergic neurons compared to other primate species, but that the neurons within this extension of the optic tract cluster in humans, while expressing the orexin gene, do not produce the neuropeptide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria M Williams
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa
| | - Adhil Bhagwandin
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa.,Division of Clinical Anatomy and Biological Anthropology, Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Jordan Swiegers
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa
| | - Mads F Bertelsen
- Centre for Zoo and Wild Animal Health, Copenhagen Zoo, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | | | - Thomas C Thannickal
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, and Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA.,Brain Research Institute, Neurobiology Research, Sepulveda VA Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Jerome M Siegel
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, and Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA.,Brain Research Institute, Neurobiology Research, Sepulveda VA Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Chet C Sherwood
- Department of Anthropology and Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Paul R Manger
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa
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Bennett MS. Five Breakthroughs: A First Approximation of Brain Evolution From Early Bilaterians to Humans. Front Neuroanat 2021; 15:693346. [PMID: 34489649 PMCID: PMC8418099 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2021.693346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Retracing the evolutionary steps by which human brains evolved can offer insights into the underlying mechanisms of human brain function as well as the phylogenetic origin of various features of human behavior. To this end, this article presents a model for interpreting the physical and behavioral modifications throughout major milestones in human brain evolution. This model introduces the concept of a "breakthrough" as a useful tool for interpreting suites of brain modifications and the various adaptive behaviors these modifications enabled. This offers a unique view into the ordered steps by which human brains evolved and suggests several unique hypotheses on the mechanisms of human brain function.
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Watanabe A, Balanoff AM, Gignac PM, Gold MEL, Norell MA. Novel neuroanatomical integration and scaling define avian brain shape evolution and development. eLife 2021; 10:68809. [PMID: 34227464 PMCID: PMC8260227 DOI: 10.7554/elife.68809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
How do large and unique brains evolve? Historically, comparative neuroanatomical studies have attributed the evolutionary genesis of highly encephalized brains to deviations along, as well as from, conserved scaling relationships among brain regions. However, the relative contributions of these concerted (integrated) and mosaic (modular) processes as drivers of brain evolution remain unclear, especially in non-mammalian groups. While proportional brain sizes have been the predominant metric used to characterize brain morphology to date, we perform a high-density geometric morphometric analysis on the encephalized brains of crown birds (Neornithes or Aves) compared to their stem taxa—the non-avialan coelurosaurian dinosaurs and Archaeopteryx. When analyzed together with developmental neuroanatomical data of model archosaurs (Gallus, Alligator), crown birds exhibit a distinct allometric relationship that dictates their brain evolution and development. Furthermore, analyses by neuroanatomical regions reveal that the acquisition of this derived shape-to-size scaling relationship occurred in a mosaic pattern, where the avian-grade optic lobe and cerebellum evolved first among non-avialan dinosaurs, followed by major changes to the evolutionary and developmental dynamics of cerebrum shape after the origin of Avialae. Notably, the brain of crown birds is a more integrated structure than non-avialan archosaurs, implying that diversification of brain morphologies within Neornithes proceeded in a more coordinated manner, perhaps due to spatial constraints and abbreviated growth period. Collectively, these patterns demonstrate a plurality in evolutionary processes that generate encephalized brains in archosaurs and across vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akinobu Watanabe
- Department of Anatomy, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, United States.,Division of Paleontology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, United States.,Department of Life Sciences Vertebrates Division, Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
| | - Amy M Balanoff
- Division of Paleontology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, United States.,Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, United States
| | - Paul M Gignac
- Division of Paleontology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, United States.,Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, Tulsa, United States
| | - M Eugenia L Gold
- Division of Paleontology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, United States.,Biology Department, Suffolk University, Boston, United States
| | - Mark A Norell
- Division of Paleontology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, United States
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Cheng L, Zhang Y, Li G, Wang J, Sherwood C, Gong G, Fan L, Jiang T. Connectional asymmetry of the inferior parietal lobule shapes hemispheric specialization in humans, chimpanzees, and rhesus macaques. eLife 2021; 10:e67600. [PMID: 34219649 PMCID: PMC8257252 DOI: 10.7554/elife.67600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The inferior parietal lobule (IPL) is one of the most expanded cortical regions in humans relative to other primates. It is also among the most structurally and functionally asymmetric regions in the human cerebral cortex. Whether the structural and connectional asymmetries of IPL subdivisions differ across primate species and how this relates to functional asymmetries remain unclear. We identified IPL subregions that exhibited positive allometric in both hemispheres, scaling across rhesus macaque monkeys, chimpanzees, and humans. The patterns of IPL subregions asymmetry were similar in chimpanzees and humans, but no IPL asymmetries were evident in macaques. Among the comparative sample of primates, humans showed the most widespread asymmetric connections in the frontal, parietal, and temporal cortices, constituting leftward asymmetric networks that may provide an anatomical basis for language and tool use. Unique human asymmetric connectivity between the IPL and primary motor cortex might be related to handedness. These findings suggest that structural and connectional asymmetries may underlie hemispheric specialization of the human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luqi Cheng
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduChina
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Yuanchao Zhang
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduChina
| | - Gang Li
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Jiaojian Wang
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduChina
- Center for Language and Brain, Shenzhen Institute of NeuroscienceShenzhenChina
| | - Chet Sherwood
- Department of Anthropology and Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington UniversityWashingtonUnited States
| | - Gaolang Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal UniversityBeijingChina
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Lingzhong Fan
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Tianzi Jiang
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduChina
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
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50
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Montgomery SH, Rossi M, McMillan WO, Merrill RM. Neural divergence and hybrid disruption between ecologically isolated Heliconius butterflies. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2015102118. [PMID: 33547240 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2015102118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The importance of behavioral evolution during speciation is well established, but we know little about how this is manifest in sensory and neural systems. A handful of studies have linked specific neural changes to divergence in host or mate preferences associated with speciation. However, the degree to which brains are adapted to local environmental conditions, and whether this contributes to reproductive isolation between close relatives that have diverged in ecology, remains unknown. Here, we examine divergence in brain morphology and neural gene expression between closely related, but ecologically distinct, Heliconius butterflies. Despite ongoing gene flow, sympatric species pairs within the melpomene-cydno complex are consistently separated across a gradient of open to closed forest and decreasing light intensity. By generating quantitative neuroanatomical data for 107 butterflies, we show that Heliconius melpomene and Heliconius cydno clades have substantial shifts in brain morphology across their geographic range, with divergent structures clustered in the visual system. These neuroanatomical differences are mirrored by extensive divergence in neural gene expression. Differences in both neural morphology and gene expression are heritable, exceed expected rates of neutral divergence, and result in intermediate traits in first-generation hybrid offspring. Strong evidence of divergent selection implies local adaptation to distinct selective optima in each parental microhabitat, suggesting the intermediate traits of hybrids are poorly matched to either condition. Neural traits may therefore contribute to coincident barriers to gene flow, thereby helping to facilitate speciation.
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