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Yang Z. The Principle of Cortical Development and Evolution. Neurosci Bull 2024:10.1007/s12264-024-01259-2. [PMID: 39023844 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-024-01259-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Human's robust cognitive abilities, including creativity and language, are made possible, at least in large part, by evolutionary changes made to the cerebral cortex. This paper reviews the biology and evolution of mammalian cortical radial glial cells (primary neural stem cells) and introduces the concept that a genetically step wise process, based on a core molecular pathway already in use, is the evolutionary process that has molded cortical neurogenesis. The core mechanism, which has been identified in our recent studies, is the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)-bone morphogenic protein 7 (BMP7)-GLI3 repressor form (GLI3R)-sonic hedgehog (SHH) positive feedback loop. Additionally, I propose that the molecular basis for cortical evolutionary dwarfism, exemplified by the lissencephalic mouse which originated from a larger gyrencephalic ancestor, is an increase in SHH signaling in radial glia, that antagonizes ERK-BMP7 signaling. Finally, I propose that: (1) SHH signaling is not a key regulator of primate cortical expansion and folding; (2) human cortical radial glial cells do not generate neocortical interneurons; (3) human-specific genes may not be essential for most cortical expansion. I hope this review assists colleagues in the field, guiding research to address gaps in our understanding of cortical development and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Department of Neurology, Institutes of Brain Science, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
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2
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Rafati AH, Joca S, Vontell RT, Wegener G, Ardalan M. Approaches to embryonic neurodevelopment: from neural cell to neural tube formation through mathematical models. Brief Bioinform 2024; 25:bbae265. [PMID: 38851297 PMCID: PMC11162300 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbae265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2024] [Revised: 05/05/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024] Open
Abstract
The development of the human central nervous system initiates in the early embryonic period until long after delivery. It has been shown that several neurological and neuropsychiatric diseases originate from prenatal incidents. Mathematical models offer a direct way to understand neurodevelopmental processes better. Mathematical modelling of neurodevelopment during the embryonic period is challenging in terms of how to 'Approach', how to initiate modelling and how to propose the appropriate equations that fit the underlying dynamics of neurodevelopment during the embryonic period while including the variety of elements that are built-in naturally during the process of neurodevelopment. It is imperative to answer where and how to start modelling; in other words, what is the appropriate 'Approach'? Therefore, one objective of this study was to tackle the mathematical issue broadly from different aspects and approaches. The approaches were divided into three embryonic categories: cell division, neural tube growth and neural plate growth. We concluded that the neural plate growth approach provides a suitable platform for simulation of brain formation/neurodevelopment compared to cell division and neural tube growth. We devised a novel equation and designed algorithms that include geometrical and topological algorithms that could fit most of the necessary elements of the neurodevelopmental process during the embryonic period. Hence, the proposed equations and defined mathematical structure would be a platform to generate an artificial neural network that autonomously grows and develops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali H Rafati
- Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 11, 8200 Aarhus N, Denmark
| | - Sâmia Joca
- Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 11, 8200 Aarhus N, Denmark
- Department of Biomedicine - Forskning og uddannelse, Vest, Aarhus University, Vest Ole Worms Allé 4 Bygning 1160, lokale 229, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Regina T Vontell
- Department of Neurology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Brain Endowment Bank, 1951 NW 7th Avenue, Suite 240 Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Gregers Wegener
- Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 11, 8200 Aarhus N, Denmark
| | - Maryam Ardalan
- Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 11, 8200 Aarhus N, Denmark
- Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Department of Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Medicinaregatan 11, 40530, Gothenburg, Sweden
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3
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Sun M, Gao Y, Li Z, Yang L, Liu G, Xu Z, Guo R, You Y, Yang Z. ERK signaling expands mammalian cortical radial glial cells and extends the neurogenic period. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2314802121. [PMID: 38498715 PMCID: PMC10990156 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2314802121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024] Open
Abstract
The molecular basis for cortical expansion during evolution remains largely unknown. Here, we report that fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling promotes the self-renewal and expansion of cortical radial glial (RG) cells. Furthermore, FGF-ERK signaling induces bone morphogenic protein 7 (Bmp7) expression in cortical RG cells, which increases the length of the neurogenic period. We demonstrate that ERK signaling and Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) signaling mutually inhibit each other in cortical RG cells. We provide evidence that ERK signaling is elevated in cortical RG cells during development and evolution. We propose that the expansion of the mammalian cortex, notably in human, is driven by the ERK-BMP7-GLI3R signaling pathway in cortical RG cells, which participates in a positive feedback loop through antagonizing SHH signaling. We also propose that the relatively short cortical neurogenic period in mice is partly due to mouse cortical RG cells receiving higher SHH signaling that antagonizes ERK signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengge Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and Ministry of Education Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, and Department of Neurology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai200032, China
| | - Yanjing Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and Ministry of Education Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, and Department of Neurology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai200032, China
| | - Zhenmeiyu Li
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and Ministry of Education Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, and Department of Neurology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai200032, China
| | - Lin Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and Ministry of Education Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, and Department of Neurology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai200032, China
| | - Guoping Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and Ministry of Education Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, and Department of Neurology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai200032, China
| | - Zhejun Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and Ministry of Education Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, and Department of Neurology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai200032, China
| | - Rongliang Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and Ministry of Education Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, and Department of Neurology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai200032, China
| | - Yan You
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and Ministry of Education Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, and Department of Neurology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai200032, China
| | - Zhengang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and Ministry of Education Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, and Department of Neurology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai200032, China
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4
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Senovilla-Ganzo R, García-Moreno F. The Phylotypic Brain of Vertebrates, from Neural Tube Closure to Brain Diversification. BRAIN, BEHAVIOR AND EVOLUTION 2024; 99:45-68. [PMID: 38342091 DOI: 10.1159/000537748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/13/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The phylotypic or intermediate stages are thought to be the most evolutionary conserved stages throughout embryonic development. The contrast with divergent early and later stages derived from the concept of the evo-devo hourglass model. Nonetheless, this developmental constraint has been studied as a whole embryo process, not at organ level. In this review, we explore brain development to assess the existence of an equivalent brain developmental hourglass. In the specific case of vertebrates, we propose to split the brain developmental stages into: (1) Early: Neurulation, when the neural tube arises after gastrulation. (2) Intermediate: Brain patterning and segmentation, when the neuromere identities are established. (3) Late: Neurogenesis and maturation, the stages when the neurons acquire their functionality. Moreover, we extend this analysis to other chordates brain development to unravel the evolutionary origin of this evo-devo constraint. SUMMARY Based on the existing literature, we hypothesise that a major conservation of the phylotypic brain might be due to the pleiotropy of the inductive regulatory networks, which are predominantly expressed at this stage. In turn, earlier stages such as neurulation are rather mechanical processes, whose regulatory networks seem to adapt to environment or maternal geometries. The later stages are also controlled by inductive regulatory networks, but their effector genes are mostly tissue-specific and functional, allowing diverse developmental programs to generate current brain diversity. Nonetheless, all stages of the hourglass are highly interconnected: divergent neurulation must have a vertebrate shared end product to reproduce the vertebrate phylotypic brain, and the boundaries and transcription factor code established during the highly conserved patterning will set the bauplan for the specialised and diversified adult brain. KEY MESSAGES The vertebrate brain is conserved at phylotypic stages, but the highly conserved mechanisms that occur during these brain mid-development stages (Inducing Regulatory Networks) are also present during other stages. Oppositely, other processes as cell interactions and functional neuronal genes are more diverse and majoritarian in early and late stages of development, respectively. These phenomena create an hourglass of transcriptomic diversity during embryonic development and evolution, with a really conserved bottleneck that set the bauplan for the adult brain around the phylotypic stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Senovilla-Ganzo
- Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, Scientific Park of the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine and Odontology, UPV/EHU, Leioa, Spain
| | - Fernando García-Moreno
- Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, Scientific Park of the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine and Odontology, UPV/EHU, Leioa, Spain
- IKERBASQUE Foundation, Bilbao, Spain
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5
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Barresi M, Hickmott RA, Bosakhar A, Quezada S, Quigley A, Kawasaki H, Walker D, Tolcos M. Toward a better understanding of how a gyrified brain develops. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae055. [PMID: 38425213 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 01/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
The size and shape of the cerebral cortex have changed dramatically across evolution. For some species, the cortex remains smooth (lissencephalic) throughout their lifetime, while for other species, including humans and other primates, the cortex increases substantially in size and becomes folded (gyrencephalic). A folded cortex boasts substantially increased surface area, cortical thickness, and neuronal density, and it is therefore associated with higher-order cognitive abilities. The mechanisms that drive gyrification in some species, while others remain lissencephalic despite many shared neurodevelopmental features, have been a topic of investigation for many decades, giving rise to multiple perspectives of how the gyrified cerebral cortex acquires its unique shape. Recently, a structurally unique germinal layer, known as the outer subventricular zone, and the specialized cell type that populates it, called basal radial glial cells, were identified, and these have been shown to be indispensable for cortical expansion and folding. Transcriptional analyses and gene manipulation models have provided an invaluable insight into many of the key cellular and genetic drivers of gyrification. However, the degree to which certain biomechanical, genetic, and cellular processes drive gyrification remains under investigation. This review considers the key aspects of cerebral expansion and folding that have been identified to date and how theories of gyrification have evolved to incorporate this new knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikaela Barresi
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Plenty Road, Bundoora, VIC 3083, Australia
- ACMD, St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, Regent Street, Fitzroy, VIC 3065, Australia
| | - Ryan Alexander Hickmott
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Plenty Road, Bundoora, VIC 3083, Australia
- ACMD, St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, Regent Street, Fitzroy, VIC 3065, Australia
| | - Abdulhameed Bosakhar
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Plenty Road, Bundoora, VIC 3083, Australia
| | - Sebastian Quezada
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Plenty Road, Bundoora, VIC 3083, Australia
| | - Anita Quigley
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Plenty Road, Bundoora, VIC 3083, Australia
- ACMD, St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, Regent Street, Fitzroy, VIC 3065, Australia
- School of Engineering, RMIT University, La Trobe Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
- Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, St Vincent's Hospital, Regent Street, Fitzroy, VIC 3065, Australia
| | - Hiroshi Kawasaki
- Department of Medical Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, Takara-machi 13-1, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-8640, Japan
| | - David Walker
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Plenty Road, Bundoora, VIC 3083, Australia
| | - Mary Tolcos
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Plenty Road, Bundoora, VIC 3083, Australia
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6
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Li Z, Liu G, Yang L, Sun M, Zhang Z, Xu Z, Gao Y, Jiang X, Su Z, Li X, Yang Z. BMP7 expression in mammalian cortical radial glial cells increases the length of the neurogenic period. Protein Cell 2024; 15:21-35. [PMID: 37300483 PMCID: PMC10762677 DOI: 10.1093/procel/pwad036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The seat of human intelligence is the human cerebral cortex, which is responsible for our exceptional cognitive abilities. Identifying principles that lead to the development of the large-sized human cerebral cortex will shed light on what makes the human brain and species so special. The remarkable increase in the number of human cortical pyramidal neurons and the size of the human cerebral cortex is mainly because human cortical radial glial cells, primary neural stem cells in the cortex, generate cortical pyramidal neurons for more than 130 days, whereas the same process takes only about 7 days in mice. The molecular mechanisms underlying this difference are largely unknown. Here, we found that bone morphogenic protein 7 (BMP7) is expressed by increasing the number of cortical radial glial cells during mammalian evolution (mouse, ferret, monkey, and human). BMP7 expression in cortical radial glial cells promotes neurogenesis, inhibits gliogenesis, and thereby increases the length of the neurogenic period, whereas Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) signaling promotes cortical gliogenesis. We demonstrate that BMP7 signaling and SHH signaling mutually inhibit each other through regulation of GLI3 repressor formation. We propose that BMP7 drives the evolutionary expansion of the mammalian cortex by increasing the length of the neurogenic period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenmeiyu Li
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, and Department of Neurology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Guoping Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, and Department of Neurology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Lin Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, and Department of Neurology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Mengge Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, and Department of Neurology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Zhuangzhi Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, and Department of Neurology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Zhejun Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, and Department of Neurology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Yanjing Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, and Department of Neurology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Xin Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, and Department of Neurology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Zihao Su
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, and Department of Neurology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Xiaosu Li
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, and Department of Neurology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Zhengang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, and Department of Neurology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
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7
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Paolino A, Haines EH, Bailey EJ, Black DA, Moey C, García-Moreno F, Richards LJ, Suárez R, Fenlon LR. Non-uniform temporal scaling of developmental processes in the mammalian cortex. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5950. [PMID: 37741828 PMCID: PMC10517946 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41652-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The time that it takes the brain to develop is highly variable across animals. Although staging systems equate major developmental milestones between mammalian species, it remains unclear how distinct processes of cortical development scale within these timeframes. Here, we compare the timing of cortical development in two mammals of similar size but different developmental pace: eutherian mice and marsupial fat-tailed dunnarts. Our results reveal that the temporal relationship between cell birth and laminar specification aligns to equivalent stages between these species, but that migration and axon extension do not scale uniformly according to the developmental stages, and are relatively more advanced in dunnarts. We identify a lack of basal intermediate progenitor cells in dunnarts that likely contributes in part to this timing difference. These findings demonstrate temporal limitations and differential plasticity of cortical developmental processes between similarly sized Therians and provide insight into subtle temporal changes that may have contributed to the early diversification of the mammalian brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annalisa Paolino
- The University of Queensland, School of Biomedical Sciences, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
- The University of Queensland, Queensland Brain Institute, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Elizabeth H Haines
- The University of Queensland, School of Biomedical Sciences, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
- The University of Queensland, Queensland Brain Institute, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Evan J Bailey
- The University of Queensland, School of Biomedical Sciences, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
- The University of Queensland, Queensland Brain Institute, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Dylan A Black
- The University of Queensland, Queensland Brain Institute, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Ching Moey
- The University of Queensland, Queensland Brain Institute, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Fernando García-Moreno
- Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, Scientific Park of the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 48940, Leioa, Spain
- IKERBASQUE Foundation, María Díaz de Haro 3, 48013, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Linda J Richards
- The University of Queensland, School of Biomedical Sciences, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
- The University of Queensland, Queensland Brain Institute, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
- Washington University in St Louis School of Medicine, Department of Neuroscience, St Louis, MO, 63108, USA
| | - Rodrigo Suárez
- The University of Queensland, School of Biomedical Sciences, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
- The University of Queensland, Queensland Brain Institute, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
| | - Laura R Fenlon
- The University of Queensland, School of Biomedical Sciences, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
- The University of Queensland, Queensland Brain Institute, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
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8
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Morales-Gregorio A, van Meegen A, van Albada SJ. Ubiquitous lognormal distribution of neuron densities in mammalian cerebral cortex. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:9439-9449. [PMID: 37409647 PMCID: PMC10438924 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Numbers of neurons and their spatial variation are fundamental organizational features of the brain. Despite the large corpus of cytoarchitectonic data available in the literature, the statistical distributions of neuron densities within and across brain areas remain largely uncharacterized. Here, we show that neuron densities are compatible with a lognormal distribution across cortical areas in several mammalian species, and find that this also holds true within cortical areas. A minimal model of noisy cell division, in combination with distributed proliferation times, can account for the coexistence of lognormal distributions within and across cortical areas. Our findings uncover a new organizational principle of cortical cytoarchitecture: the ubiquitous lognormal distribution of neuron densities, which adds to a long list of lognormal variables in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aitor Morales-Gregorio
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-6) and Institute for Advanced Simulation (IAS-6) and JARA-Institut Brain Structure-Function Relationships (INM-10), Jülich Research Centre, Wilhelm-Johnen-Str., 52428 Jülich, Germany
- Institute of Zoology, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Str., 50674 Cologne, Germany
| | - Alexander van Meegen
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-6) and Institute for Advanced Simulation (IAS-6) and JARA-Institut Brain Structure-Function Relationships (INM-10), Jülich Research Centre, Wilhelm-Johnen-Str., 52428 Jülich, Germany
- Institute of Zoology, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Str., 50674 Cologne, Germany
| | - Sacha J van Albada
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-6) and Institute for Advanced Simulation (IAS-6) and JARA-Institut Brain Structure-Function Relationships (INM-10), Jülich Research Centre, Wilhelm-Johnen-Str., 52428 Jülich, Germany
- Institute of Zoology, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Str., 50674 Cologne, Germany
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9
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Woolley TE, Hill W, Hogan C. Accounting for dimensional differences in stochastic domain invasion with applications to precancerous cell removal. J Theor Biol 2022; 541:111024. [PMID: 35108550 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2022.111024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Revised: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
We consider a specific form of domain invasion that is an abstraction of pancreatic tissue eliminating precancerous mutant cells through juxtacrine signalling. The model is explored discretely, continuously, stochastically and deterministically, highlighting unforeseen nonlinear dependencies on the dimension of the solution domain. Specifically, stochastically simulated populations invade with a dimension dependent wave speed that can be over twice as fast as their deterministic analogues. Although the wave speed can be analytically derived in the cases of small domains, the probabilistic state space grows exponentially and, thus, we use numeric simulation and curve fitting to predict limiting dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas E Woolley
- Cardiff School of Mathematics, Cardiff University, Senghennydd Road, Cardiff, CF24 4AG, UK.
| | - William Hill
- Cancer Evolution and Genome Instability Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, NW1 1AT, UK; European Cancer Stem Cell Research Institute, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Hadyn Ellis Building, Maindy Road, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, UK
| | - Catherine Hogan
- European Cancer Stem Cell Research Institute, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Hadyn Ellis Building, Maindy Road, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, UK
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10
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Song Y, Zhou D, Li S. Maximum Entropy Principle Underlies Wiring Length Distribution in Brain Networks. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:4628-4641. [PMID: 33999124 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Revised: 03/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
A brain network comprises a substantial amount of short-range connections with an admixture of long-range connections. The portion of long-range connections in brain networks is observed to be quantitatively dissimilar across species. It is hypothesized that the length of connections is constrained by the spatial embedding of brain networks, yet fundamental principles that underlie the wiring length distribution remain unclear. By quantifying the structural diversity of a brain network using Shannon's entropy, here we show that the wiring length distribution across multiple species-including Drosophila, mouse, macaque, human, and C. elegans-follows the maximum entropy principle (MAP) under the constraints of limited wiring material and the spatial locations of brain areas or neurons. In addition, by considering stochastic axonal growth, we propose a network formation process capable of reproducing wiring length distributions of the 5 species, thereby implementing MAP in a biologically plausible manner. We further develop a generative model incorporating MAP, and show that, for the 5 species, the generated network exhibits high similarity to the real network. Our work indicates that the brain connectivity evolves to be structurally diversified by maximizing entropy to support efficient interareal communication, providing a potential organizational principle of brain networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuru Song
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Douglas Zhou
- School of Mathematical Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.,Institute of Natural Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.,Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Scientific and Engineering Computing, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Songting Li
- School of Mathematical Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.,Institute of Natural Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.,Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Scientific and Engineering Computing, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
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11
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Lupan BM, Silver DL. Evolution: Does More Time Buy More Neurons? Curr Biol 2021; 30:R1316-R1318. [PMID: 33142101 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.08.098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Brain expansion and increased neuronal number are hallmarks of cortical evolution, particularly in humans. A new study establishes a link between the length of gestation, neurogenesis, the maternal environment, and key features associated with more complex brains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bianca M Lupan
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Debra L Silver
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Departments of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
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12
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Stepien BK, Vaid S, Huttner WB. Length of the Neurogenic Period-A Key Determinant for the Generation of Upper-Layer Neurons During Neocortex Development and Evolution. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:676911. [PMID: 34055808 PMCID: PMC8155536 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.676911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The neocortex, a six-layer neuronal brain structure that arose during the evolution of, and is unique to, mammals, is the seat of higher order brain functions responsible for human cognitive abilities. Despite its recent evolutionary origin, it shows a striking variability in size and folding complexity even among closely related mammalian species. In most mammals, cortical neurogenesis occurs prenatally, and its length correlates with the length of gestation. The evolutionary expansion of the neocortex, notably in human, is associated with an increase in the number of neurons, particularly within its upper layers. Various mechanisms have been proposed and investigated to explain the evolutionary enlargement of the human neocortex, focussing in particular on changes pertaining to neural progenitor types and their division modes, driven in part by the emergence of human-specific genes with novel functions. These led to an amplification of the progenitor pool size, which affects the rate and timing of neuron production. In addition, in early theoretical studies, another mechanism of neocortex expansion was proposed—the lengthening of the neurogenic period. A critical role of neurogenic period length in determining neocortical neuron number was subsequently supported by mathematical modeling studies. Recently, we have provided experimental evidence in rodents directly supporting the mechanism of extending neurogenesis to specifically increase the number of upper-layer cortical neurons. Moreover, our study examined the relationship between cortical neurogenesis and gestation, linking the extension of the neurogenic period to the maternal environment. As the exact nature of factors promoting neurogenic period prolongation, as well as the generalization of this mechanism for evolutionary distinct lineages, remain elusive, the directions for future studies are outlined and discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara K Stepien
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Max Planck Society (MPG), Munich, Germany.,Institute of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, School of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Samir Vaid
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Max Planck Society (MPG), Munich, Germany
| | - Wieland B Huttner
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Max Planck Society (MPG), Munich, Germany
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13
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Changeux JP, Goulas A, Hilgetag CC. A Connectomic Hypothesis for the Hominization of the Brain. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:2425-2449. [PMID: 33367521 PMCID: PMC8023825 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Revised: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cognitive abilities of the human brain, including language, have expanded dramatically in the course of our recent evolution from nonhuman primates, despite only minor apparent changes at the gene level. The hypothesis we propose for this paradox relies upon fundamental features of human brain connectivity, which contribute to a characteristic anatomical, functional, and computational neural phenotype, offering a parsimonious framework for connectomic changes taking place upon the human-specific evolution of the genome. Many human connectomic features might be accounted for by substantially increased brain size within the global neural architecture of the primate brain, resulting in a larger number of neurons and areas and the sparsification, increased modularity, and laminar differentiation of cortical connections. The combination of these features with the developmental expansion of upper cortical layers, prolonged postnatal brain development, and multiplied nongenetic interactions with the physical, social, and cultural environment gives rise to categorically human-specific cognitive abilities including the recursivity of language. Thus, a small set of genetic regulatory events affecting quantitative gene expression may plausibly account for the origins of human brain connectivity and cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Pierre Changeux
- CNRS UMR 3571, Institut Pasteur, 75724 Paris, France
- Communications Cellulaires, Collège de France, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Alexandros Goulas
- Institute of Computational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Eppendorf, Hamburg University, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Claus C Hilgetag
- Institute of Computational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Eppendorf, Hamburg University, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
- Department of Health Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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14
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Fischer E, Morin X. Fate restrictions in embryonic neural progenitors. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2020; 66:178-185. [PMID: 33259983 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2020.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The vertebrate central nervous system (CNS) is a fantastically complex organ composed of dozens of cell types within the neural and glial lineages. Its organization is laid down during development, through the localized and sequential production of subsets of neurons with specific identities. The principles and mechanisms that underlie the timely production of adequate classes of cells are only partially understood. Recent advances in molecular profiling describe the developmental trajectories leading to this amazing cellular diversity and provide us with cell atlases of an unprecedented level of precision. Yet, some long-standing questions pertaining to lineage relationships between neural progenitor cells and their differentiated progeny remain unanswered. Here, we discuss questions related to proliferation potential, timing of fate choices and restriction of neuronal output potential of individual CNS progenitors through the lens of lineage relationship. Unlocking methodological barriers will be essential to accurately describe CNS development at a cellular resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelyne Fischer
- Institut de Biologie de l'ENS (IBENS), École Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSL, 75005 Paris, France.
| | - Xavier Morin
- Institut de Biologie de l'ENS (IBENS), École Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSL, 75005 Paris, France.
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15
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Jungas T, Joseph M, Fawal MA, Davy A. Population Dynamics and Neuronal Polyploidy in the Developing Neocortex. Cereb Cortex Commun 2020; 1:tgaa063. [PMID: 34296126 PMCID: PMC8152829 DOI: 10.1093/texcom/tgaa063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Revised: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The mammalian neocortex is composed of different subtypes of projection neurons that are generated sequentially during embryogenesis by differentiation of neural progenitors. While molecular mechanisms that control neuronal production in the developing neocortex have been extensively studied, the dynamics and absolute numbers of the different progenitor and neuronal populations are still poorly characterized. Here, we describe a medium throughput approach based on flow cytometry and well-known identity markers of cortical subpopulations to collect quantitative data over the course of mouse neocortex development. We collected a complete dataset in a physiological developmental context on two progenitor and two neuron populations, including relative proportions and absolute numbers. Our study reveals unexpected total numbers of Tbr2+ progenitors. In addition, we show that polyploid neurons are present throughout neocortex development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Jungas
- Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Centre de Biologie du Développement (CBD), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, 31062 Toulouse, France
| | - Mathieu Joseph
- Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Centre de Biologie du Développement (CBD), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, 31062 Toulouse, France
- Montreal Clinical Research Institute (IRCM), Montreal, QC H2W 1R7, Canada
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Mohamad-Ali Fawal
- Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Centre de Biologie du Développement (CBD), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, 31062 Toulouse, France
| | - Alice Davy
- Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Centre de Biologie du Développement (CBD), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, 31062 Toulouse, France
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16
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A common rule governing differentiation kinetics of mouse cortical progenitors. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:15221-15229. [PMID: 32546524 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1916665117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The balance between proliferation and differentiation of stem cells and progenitors determines the size of an adult brain region. While the molecular mechanisms regulating proliferation and differentiation of cortical progenitors have been intensively studied, an analysis of the kinetics of progenitor choice between self-renewal and differentiation in vivo is, due to the technical difficulties, still unknown. Here we established a descriptive mathematical model to estimate the probability of self-renewal or differentiation of cortical progenitor behaviors in vivo, a variable we have termed the expansion coefficient. We have applied the model, one which depends only on experimentally measured parameters, to the developing mouse cortex where the expansive neuroepithelial cells and neurogenic radial glial progenitors are coexisting. Surprisingly, we found that the expansion coefficients of both neuroepithelium cells and radial glial progenitors follow the same developmental trajectory during cortical development, suggesting a common rule governing self-renewal/differentiation behaviors in mouse cortical progenitor differentiation.
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17
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O'Neill AC, Kyrousi C, Klaus J, Leventer RJ, Kirk EP, Fry A, Pilz DT, Morgan T, Jenkins ZA, Drukker M, Berkovic SF, Scheffer IE, Guerrini R, Markie DM, Götz M, Cappello S, Robertson SP. A Primate-Specific Isoform of PLEKHG6 Regulates Neurogenesis and Neuronal Migration. Cell Rep 2019; 25:2729-2741.e6. [PMID: 30517861 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.11.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2018] [Revised: 09/06/2018] [Accepted: 11/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The mammalian neocortex has undergone remarkable changes through evolution. A consequence of such rapid evolutionary events could be a trade-off that has rendered the brain susceptible to certain neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric conditions. We analyzed the exomes of 65 patients with the structural brain malformation periventricular nodular heterotopia (PH). De novo coding variants were observed in excess in genes defining a transcriptomic signature of basal radial glia, a cell type linked to brain evolution. In addition, we located two variants in human isoforms of two genes that have no ortholog in mice. Modulating the levels of one of these isoforms for the gene PLEKHG6 demonstrated its role in regulating neuroprogenitor differentiation and neuronal migration via RhoA, with phenotypic recapitulation of PH in human cerebral organoids. This suggests that this PLEKHG6 isoform is an example of a primate-specific genomic element supporting brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam C O'Neill
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand; Institute of Stem Cell Research, Helmholtz Center, Munich, Germany; Physiological Genomics, Biomedical Center Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet, Munich, Germany
| | | | | | - Richard J Leventer
- Department of Neurology, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Edwin P Kirk
- Sydney Children's Hospital, University of New South Wales, Randwick, NSW, Australia; New South Wales Health Pathology, Randwick, NSW, Australia
| | - Andrew Fry
- Institute of Medical Genetics, University Hospital of Wales, Heath Park, Cardiff CF14 4XW, UK
| | - Daniela T Pilz
- West of Scotland Genetics Service, Laboratory Medicine Building, Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow G51 4TF, UK
| | - Tim Morgan
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Zandra A Jenkins
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Micha Drukker
- Institute of Stem Cell Research, Helmholtz Center, Munich, Germany
| | - Samuel F Berkovic
- Epilepsy Research Centre, Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Austin Health, Heidelberg, VIC 3084, Australia
| | - Ingrid E Scheffer
- Epilepsy Research Centre, Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Austin Health, Heidelberg, VIC 3084, Australia; The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Renzo Guerrini
- Pediatric Neurology Unit and Laboratories, Children's Hospital A. Meyer-University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - David M Markie
- Department of Pathology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Magdalena Götz
- Institute of Stem Cell Research, Helmholtz Center, Munich, Germany; Physiological Genomics, Biomedical Center Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet, Munich, Germany; Excellence Cluster of Systems Neurology (SYNERGY), 82152 Planegg/Martinsried, Germany
| | | | - Stephen P Robertson
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
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18
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Postel M, Karam A, Pézeron G, Schneider-Maunoury S, Clément F. A multiscale mathematical model of cell dynamics during neurogenesis in the mouse cerebral cortex. BMC Bioinformatics 2019; 20:470. [PMID: 31521111 PMCID: PMC6744691 DOI: 10.1186/s12859-019-3018-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2019] [Accepted: 07/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Neurogenesis in the murine cerebral cortex involves the coordinated divisions of two main types of progenitor cells, whose numbers, division modes and cell cycle durations set up the final neuronal output. To understand the respective roles of these factors in the neurogenesis process, we combine experimental in vivo studies with mathematical modeling and numerical simulations of the dynamics of neural progenitor cells. A special focus is put on the population of intermediate progenitors (IPs), a transit amplifying progenitor type critically involved in the size of the final neuron pool. Results A multiscale formalism describing IP dynamics allows one to track the progression of cells along the subsequent phases of the cell cycle, as well as the temporal evolution of the different cell numbers. Our model takes into account the dividing apical progenitors (AP) engaged into neurogenesis, both neurogenic and proliferative IPs, and the newborn neurons. The transfer rates from one population to another are subject to the mode of division (proliferative, or neurogenic) and may be time-varying. The model outputs are successfully fitted to experimental cell numbers from mouse embryos at different stages of cortical development, taking into account IPs and neurons, in order to adjust the numerical parameters. We provide additional information on cell kinetics, such as the mitotic and S phase indexes, and neurogenic fraction. Conclusions Applying the model to a mouse mutant for Ftm/Rpgrip1l, a gene involved in human ciliopathies with severe brain abnormalities, reveals a shortening of the neurogenic period associated with an increased influx of newborn IPs from apical progenitors at mid-neurogenesis. Our model can be used to study other mouse mutants with cortical neurogenesis defects and can be adapted to study the importance of progenitor dynamics in cortical evolution and human diseases. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12859-019-3018-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Postel
- Sorbonne Université, Université Paris-Diderot SPC, CNRS, Laboratoire Jacques-Louis Lions, LJLL, Paris, France.
| | - Alice Karam
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR7622, Inserm U1156, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine (IBPS), Laboratoire de Biologie du développement (LBD), Paris, France
| | - Guillaume Pézeron
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR7622, Inserm U1156, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine (IBPS), Laboratoire de Biologie du développement (LBD), Paris, France.,Current address: Laboratoire Physiologie Moléculaire et Adaptation, UMR 7221 CNRS, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
| | - Sylvie Schneider-Maunoury
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR7622, Inserm U1156, Institut de Biologie Paris-Seine (IBPS), Laboratoire de Biologie du développement (LBD), Paris, France
| | - Frédérique Clément
- Inria, Université Paris-Saclay, Palaiseau, France.,LMS, Ecole Polytechnique, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, Palaiseau, France
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19
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Molnár Z, Clowry GJ, Šestan N, Alzu'bi A, Bakken T, Hevner RF, Hüppi PS, Kostović I, Rakic P, Anton ES, Edwards D, Garcez P, Hoerder‐Suabedissen A, Kriegstein A. New insights into the development of the human cerebral cortex. J Anat 2019; 235:432-451. [PMID: 31373394 PMCID: PMC6704245 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 199] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The cerebral cortex constitutes more than half the volume of the human brain and is presumed to be responsible for the neuronal computations underlying complex phenomena, such as perception, thought, language, attention, episodic memory and voluntary movement. Rodent models are extremely valuable for the investigation of brain development, but cannot provide insight into aspects that are unique or highly derived in humans. Many human psychiatric and neurological conditions have developmental origins but cannot be studied adequately in animal models. The human cerebral cortex has some unique genetic, molecular, cellular and anatomical features, which need to be further explored. The Anatomical Society devoted its summer meeting to the topic of Human Brain Development in June 2018 to tackle these important issues. The meeting was organized by Gavin Clowry (Newcastle University) and Zoltán Molnár (University of Oxford), and held at St John's College, Oxford. The participants provided a broad overview of the structure of the human brain in the context of scaling relationships across the brains of mammals, conserved principles and recent changes in the human lineage. Speakers considered how neuronal progenitors diversified in human to generate an increasing variety of cortical neurons. The formation of the earliest cortical circuits of the earliest generated neurons in the subplate was discussed together with their involvement in neurodevelopmental pathologies. Gene expression networks and susceptibility genes associated to neurodevelopmental diseases were discussed and compared with the networks that can be identified in organoids developed from induced pluripotent stem cells that recapitulate some aspects of in vivo development. New views were discussed on the specification of glutamatergic pyramidal and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic interneurons. With the advancement of various in vivo imaging methods, the histopathological observations can be now linked to in vivo normal conditions and to various diseases. Our review gives a general evaluation of the exciting new developments in these areas. The human cortex has a much enlarged association cortex with greater interconnectivity of cortical areas with each other and with an expanded thalamus. The human cortex has relative enlargement of the upper layers, enhanced diversity and function of inhibitory interneurons and a highly expanded transient subplate layer during development. Here we highlight recent studies that address how these differences emerge during development focusing on diverse facets of our evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoltán Molnár
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and GeneticsUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Gavin J. Clowry
- Institute of NeuroscienceNewcastle UniversityNewcastle upon TyneUK
| | - Nenad Šestan
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of MedicineNew HavenCTUSA
| | - Ayman Alzu'bi
- Department of Basic Medical SciencesFaculty of MedicineYarmouk UniversityIrbidJordan
| | | | | | - Petra S. Hüppi
- Dept. de l'enfant et de l'adolescentHôpitaux Universitaires de GenèveGenèveSwitzerland
| | - Ivica Kostović
- Croatian Institute for Brain ResearchSchool of MedicineUniversity of ZagrebZagrebCroatia
| | - Pasko Rakic
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of MedicineNew HavenCTUSA
| | - E. S. Anton
- UNC Neuroscience CenterDepartment of Cell and Molecular PhysiologyThe University of North Carolina School of MedicineChapel HillNCUSA
| | - David Edwards
- Centre for the Developing BrainBiomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences,King's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Patricia Garcez
- Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, UFRJInstitute of Biomedical SciencesRio de JaneiroBrazil
| | | | - Arnold Kriegstein
- Department of NeurologyUniversity of California, San Francisco (UCSF)San FranciscoCAUSA
- The Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell ResearchUCSFSan FranciscoCAUSA
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20
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Picco N, Hippenmeyer S, Rodarte J, Streicher C, Molnár Z, Maini PK, Woolley TE. A mathematical insight into cell labelling experiments for clonal analysis. J Anat 2019; 235:687-696. [PMID: 31173344 PMCID: PMC6704238 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Studying the progression of the proliferative and differentiative patterns of neural stem cells at the individual cell level is crucial to the understanding of cortex development and how the disruption of such patterns can lead to malformations and neurodevelopmental diseases. However, our understanding of the precise lineage progression programme at single-cell resolution is still incomplete due to the technical variations in lineage-tracing approaches. One of the key challenges involves developing a robust theoretical framework in which we can integrate experimental observations and introduce correction factors to obtain a reliable and representative description of the temporal modulation of proliferation and differentiation. In order to obtain more conclusive insights, we carry out virtual clonal analysis using mathematical modelling and compare our results against experimental data. Using a dataset obtained with Mosaic Analysis with Double Markers, we illustrate how the theoretical description can be exploited to interpret and reconcile the disparity between virtual and experimental results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noemi Picco
- Department of Mathematics, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | | | - Julio Rodarte
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg, UK
| | | | - Zoltán Molnár
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Philip K Maini
- Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Thomas E Woolley
- School of Mathematics, Cardiff University, Senghennydd Rd, Cardiff, UK
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21
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Goodhill GJ. Theoretical Models of Neural Development. iScience 2018; 8:183-199. [PMID: 30321813 PMCID: PMC6197653 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2018.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2018] [Revised: 08/06/2018] [Accepted: 09/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Constructing a functioning nervous system requires the precise orchestration of a vast array of mechanical, molecular, and neural-activity-dependent cues. Theoretical models can play a vital role in helping to frame quantitative issues, reveal mathematical commonalities between apparently diverse systems, identify what is and what is not possible in principle, and test the abilities of specific mechanisms to explain the data. This review focuses on the progress that has been made over the last decade in our theoretical understanding of neural development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey J Goodhill
- Queensland Brain Institute and School of Mathematics and Physics, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
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22
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Picco N, Woolley TE. Time to change your mind? Modelling transient properties of cortex formation highlights the importance of evolving cell division strategies. J Theor Biol 2018; 481:110-118. [PMID: 30121294 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2018.08.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2018] [Revised: 08/12/2018] [Accepted: 08/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The successful development of the mammalian cerebral neocortex is linked to numerous cognitive functions such as language, voluntary movement, and episodic memory. Neocortex development occurs when neural progenitor cells divide and produce neurons. Critically, although the progenitor cells are able to self-renew they do not reproduce themselves endlessly. Hence, to fully understand the development of the neocortex we are faced with the challenge of understanding temporal changes in cell division strategy. Our approach to modelling neuronal production uses non-autonomous ordinary differential equations and allows us to use a ternary coordinate system in order to define a strategy space, through which we can visualise evolving cell division strategies. Using this strategy space, we fit the known data and use approximate Bayesian computation to predict the founding progenitor population sizes, currently unavailable in the experimental literature. Counter-intuitively, we show that humans can generate a larger number of neurons than a macaque's even when starting with a smaller number of progenitor cells. Accompanying the article is a self-contained piece of software, which provides the reader with immediate simulated results that will aid their intuition. The software can be found at www.dpag.ox.ac.uk/team/noemi-picco.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noemi Picco
- University of Oxford, Mathematical Institute, Woodstock Road, Oxford OX2 6GG, United Kingdom.
| | - Thomas E Woolley
- Cardiff School of Mathematics, Cardiff University, Senghennydd Road, Cardiff CF24 4AG, United Kingdom.
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