1
|
Thor S. Indirect neurogenesis in space and time. Nat Rev Neurosci 2024:10.1038/s41583-024-00833-x. [PMID: 38951687 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-024-00833-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024]
Abstract
During central nervous system (CNS) development, neural progenitor cells (NPCs) generate neurons and glia in two different ways. In direct neurogenesis, daughter cells differentiate directly into neurons or glia, whereas in indirect neurogenesis, neurons or glia are generated after one or more daughter cell divisions. Intriguingly, indirect neurogenesis is not stochastically deployed and plays instructive roles during CNS development: increased generation of cells from specific lineages; increased generation of early or late-born cell types within a lineage; and increased cell diversification. Increased indirect neurogenesis might contribute to the anterior CNS expansion evident throughout the Bilateria and help to modify brain-region size without requiring increased NPC numbers or extended neurogenesis. Increased indirect neurogenesis could be an evolutionary driver of the gyrencephalic (that is, folded) cortex that emerged during mammalian evolution and might even have increased during hominid evolution. Thus, selection of indirect versus direct neurogenesis provides a powerful developmental and evolutionary instrument that drives not only the evolution of CNS complexity but also brain expansion and modulation of brain-region size, and thereby the evolution of increasingly advanced cognitive abilities. This Review describes indirect neurogenesis in several model species and humans, and highlights some of the molecular genetic mechanisms that control this important process.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Thor
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Lindhout FW, Krienen FM, Pollard KS, Lancaster MA. A molecular and cellular perspective on human brain evolution and tempo. Nature 2024; 630:596-608. [PMID: 38898293 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07521-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
The evolution of the modern human brain was accompanied by distinct molecular and cellular specializations, which underpin our diverse cognitive abilities but also increase our susceptibility to neurological diseases. These features, some specific to humans and others shared with related species, manifest during different stages of brain development. In this multi-stage process, neural stem cells proliferate to produce a large and diverse progenitor pool, giving rise to excitatory or inhibitory neurons that integrate into circuits during further maturation. This process unfolds over varying time scales across species and has progressively become slower in the human lineage, with differences in tempo correlating with differences in brain size, cell number and diversity, and connectivity. Here we introduce the terms 'bradychrony' and 'tachycrony' to describe slowed and accelerated developmental tempos, respectively. We review how recent technical advances across disciplines, including advanced engineering of in vitro models, functional comparative genetics and high-throughput single-cell profiling, are leading to a deeper understanding of how specializations of the human brain arise during bradychronic neurodevelopment. Emerging insights point to a central role for genetics, gene-regulatory networks, cellular innovations and developmental tempo, which together contribute to the establishment of human specializations during various stages of neurodevelopment and at different points in evolution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Feline W Lindhout
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Fenna M Krienen
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Katherine S Pollard
- Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Institute for Computational Health Sciences, and Institute for Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Madeline A Lancaster
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Menzel R, Rybak J. Insights from the past: the work of Hans von Alten on the evolution of brain structure, ecological adaptation, and cognition in hymenopteran species. Learn Mem 2024; 31:a053922. [PMID: 38862163 PMCID: PMC11199940 DOI: 10.1101/lm.053922.124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
In his treatise on arthropod brains, Hans von Alten (1910) focuses on a specific functional group of insects-the flying Hymenoptera-which exhibit a spectrum of lifestyles ranging from solitary to social. His work presents a distinctive comparative neuro-anatomical approach rooted in an eco-evolutionary and eco-behavioral background. We regard his publication as an exceptionally valuable source of information and seek to inspire the research community dedicated to the study of the insect brain to explore its insights further, even after more than 110 years. We have translated and annotated his work, expecting it to engage researchers not just with its remarkable drawings but also with its substantive content and exemplary research strategy. The present text is designed to complement von Alten's publication, situating it within the temporal context of nineteenth-century and early twentieth-century studies, and to draw connections to contemporary perspectives, especially concerning a central brain structure: the mushroom body.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Randolf Menzel
- Department of Biology, Neurobiology, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Jürgen Rybak
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745 Jena, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Xing L, Gkini V, Nieminen AI, Zhou HC, Aquilino M, Naumann R, Reppe K, Tanaka K, Carmeliet P, Heikinheimo O, Pääbo S, Huttner WB, Namba T. Functional synergy of a human-specific and an ape-specific metabolic regulator in human neocortex development. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3468. [PMID: 38658571 PMCID: PMC11043075 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47437-8] [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: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Metabolism has recently emerged as a major target of genes implicated in the evolutionary expansion of human neocortex. One such gene is the human-specific gene ARHGAP11B. During human neocortex development, ARHGAP11B increases the abundance of basal radial glia, key progenitors for neocortex expansion, by stimulating glutaminolysis (glutamine-to-glutamate-to-alpha-ketoglutarate) in mitochondria. Here we show that the ape-specific protein GLUD2 (glutamate dehydrogenase 2), which also operates in mitochondria and converts glutamate-to-αKG, enhances ARHGAP11B's ability to increase basal radial glia abundance. ARHGAP11B + GLUD2 double-transgenic bRG show increased production of aspartate, a metabolite essential for cell proliferation, from glutamate via alpha-ketoglutarate and the TCA cycle. Hence, during human evolution, a human-specific gene exploited the existence of another gene that emerged during ape evolution, to increase, via concerted changes in metabolism, progenitor abundance and neocortex size.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lei Xing
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany.
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada.
| | - Vasiliki Gkini
- Neuroscience Center, HiLIFE - Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Anni I Nieminen
- FIMM Metabolomics Unit, Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Hui-Chao Zhou
- Center for Cancer Biology (CCB), VIB-KU Leuven, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Matilde Aquilino
- Neuroscience Center, HiLIFE - Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ronald Naumann
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | - Katrin Reppe
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | - Kohichi Tanaka
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Peter Carmeliet
- Laboratory of Angiogenesis and Vascular Metabolism, Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
- Laboratory of Angiogenesis and Vascular Metabolism, Center for Cancer Biology, VIB, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
- Center for Biotechnology, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Oskari Heikinheimo
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Svante Pääbo
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Human Evolutionary Genomics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Okinawa, Onna-son, Japan
| | - Wieland B Huttner
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany.
| | - Takashi Namba
- Neuroscience Center, HiLIFE - Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Jakimovski D, Dorn RP, Regno MD, Bartnik A, Bergsland N, Ramanathan M, Dwyer MG, Benedict RHB, Zivadinov R, Szigeti K. Human restricted CHRFAM7A gene increases brain efficiency. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1359028. [PMID: 38711941 PMCID: PMC11070550 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1359028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction CHRFAM7A, a uniquely human fusion gene, has been associated with neuropsychiatric disorders including Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, anxiety, and attention deficit disorder. Understanding the physiological function of CHRFAM7A in the human brain is the first step to uncovering its role in disease. CHRFAM7A was identified as a potent modulator of intracellular calcium and an upstream regulator of Rac1 leading to actin cytoskeleton reorganization and a switch from filopodia to lamellipodia implicating a more efficient neuronal structure. We performed a neurocognitive-MRI correlation exploratory study on 46 normal human subjects to explore the effect of CHRFAM7A on human brain. Methods Dual locus specific genotyping of CHRFAM7A was performed on genomic DNA to determine copy number (TaqMan assay) and orientation (capillary sequencing) of the CHRFAM7A alleles. As only the direct allele is expressed at the protein level and affects α7 nAChR function, direct allele carriers and non-carriers are compared for neuropsychological and MRI measures. Subjects underwent neuropsychological testing to measure motor (Timed 25-foot walk test, 9-hole peg test), cognitive processing speed (Symbol Digit Modalities Test), Learning and memory (California Verbal Learning Test immediate and delayed recall, Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised immediate and delayed recall) and Beck Depression Inventory-Fast Screen, Fatigue Severity Scale. All subjects underwent MRI scanning on the same 3 T GE scanner using the same protocol. Global and tissue-specific volumes were determined using validated cross-sectional algorithms including FSL's Structural Image Evaluation, using Normalization, of Atrophy (SIENAX) and FSL's Integrated Registration and Segmentation Tool (FIRST) on lesion-inpainted images. The cognitive tests were age and years of education-adjusted using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Age-adjusted analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was performed on the MRI data. Results CHRFAM7A direct allele carrier and non-carrier groups included 33 and 13 individuals, respectively. Demographic variables (age and years of education) were comparable. CHRFAM7A direct allele carriers demonstrated an upward shift in cognitive performance including cognitive processing speed, learning and memory, reaching statistical significance in visual immediate recall (FDR corrected p = 0.018). The shift in cognitive performance was associated with smaller whole brain volume (uncorrected p = 0.046) and lower connectivity by resting state functional MRI in the visual network (FDR corrected p = 0.027) accentuating the cognitive findings. Conclusion These data suggest that direct allele carriers harbor a more efficient brain consistent with the cellular biology of actin cytoskeleton and synaptic gain of function. Further larger human studies of cognitive measures correlated with MRI and functional imaging are needed to decipher the impact of CHRFAM7A on brain function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dejan Jakimovski
- Department of Neurology, Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, United States
| | - Ryu P. Dorn
- Department of Neurology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, United States
| | - Megan Del Regno
- Department of Neurology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, United States
| | - Alexander Bartnik
- Department of Neurology, Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, United States
| | - Niels Bergsland
- Department of Neurology, Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, United States
| | - Murali Ramanathan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, United States
| | - Michael G. Dwyer
- Department of Neurology, Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, United States
- Center for Biomedical Imaging at the Clinical Translational Science Institute, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, United States
| | - Ralph H. B. Benedict
- Department of Neurology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, United States
| | - Robert Zivadinov
- Department of Neurology, Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, United States
- Center for Biomedical Imaging at the Clinical Translational Science Institute, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, United States
| | - Kinga Szigeti
- Department of Neurology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, United States
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Hongo I, Yamaguchi C, Okamoto H. Brain enlargement with rostral bias in larvae from a spontaneously occurring female variant line of Xenopus; role of aberrant embryonic Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Cells Dev 2024:203918. [PMID: 38574816 DOI: 10.1016/j.cdev.2024.203918] [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: 02/01/2024] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
Increased brain size and its rostral bias are hallmarks of vertebrate evolution, but the underlying developmental and genetic basis remains poorly understood. To provide clues to understanding vertebrate brain evolution, we investigated the developmental mechanisms of brain enlargement observed in the offspring of a previously unrecognized, spontaneously occurring female variant line of Xenopus that appears to reflect a genetic variation. Brain enlargement in larvae from this line showed a pronounced rostral bias that could be traced back to the neural plate, the primordium of the brain. At the gastrula stage, the Spemann organizer, which is known to induce the neural plate from the adjacent dorsal ectoderm and give it the initial rostrocaudal patterning, was expanded from dorsal to ventral in a large proportion of the offspring of variant females. Consistently, siamois expression, which is required for Spemann organizer formation, was expanded laterally from dorsal to ventral at the blastula stage in variant offspring. This implies that the active region of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway was similarly expanded in advance on the dorsal side, as siamois is a target gene of this pathway. Notably, the earliest detectable change in variant offspring was in fertilized eggs, in which maternal wnt11b mRNA, a candidate dorsalizing factor responsible for activating Wnt/β-catenin signaling in the dorsal embryonic region, had a wider distribution in the vegetal cortical cytoplasm. Since lateral spreading of wnt11b mRNA, and possibly that of other potential maternal dorsalizing factors in these eggs, is expected to facilitate lateral expansion of the active region of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway during subsequent embryonic stages, we concluded that aberrant Wnt/β-catenin signaling could cause rostral-biased brain enlargement via expansion of siamois expression and consequent expansion of the Spemann organizer in Xenopus. Our studies of spontaneously occurring variations in brain development in Xenopus would provide hints for uncovering genetic mutations that drive analogous morphogenetic variations during vertebrate brain evolution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ikuko Hongo
- Department of Life Science, Faculty of Science, Gakushuin University, 1-5-1 Mejiro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 171-8588, Japan
| | - Chihiro Yamaguchi
- Department of Life Science, Faculty of Science, Gakushuin University, 1-5-1 Mejiro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 171-8588, Japan
| | - Harumasa Okamoto
- Department of Life Science, Faculty of Science, Gakushuin University, 1-5-1 Mejiro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 171-8588, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Luppi AI, Rosas FE, Noonan MP, Mediano PAM, Kringelbach ML, Carhart-Harris RL, Stamatakis EA, Vernon AC, Turkheimer FE. Oxygen and the Spark of Human Brain Evolution: Complex Interactions of Metabolism and Cortical Expansion across Development and Evolution. Neuroscientist 2024; 30:173-198. [PMID: 36476177 DOI: 10.1177/10738584221138032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Scientific theories on the functioning and dysfunction of the human brain require an understanding of its development-before and after birth and through maturation to adulthood-and its evolution. Here we bring together several accounts of human brain evolution by focusing on the central role of oxygen and brain metabolism. We argue that evolutionary expansion of human transmodal association cortices exceeded the capacity of oxygen delivery by the vascular system, which led these brain tissues to rely on nonoxidative glycolysis for additional energy supply. We draw a link between the resulting lower oxygen tension and its effect on cytoarchitecture, which we posit as a key driver of genetic developmental programs for the human brain-favoring lower intracortical myelination and the presence of biosynthetic materials for synapse turnover. Across biological and temporal scales, this protracted capacity for neural plasticity sets the conditions for cognitive flexibility and ongoing learning, supporting complex group dynamics and intergenerational learning that in turn enabled improved nutrition to fuel the metabolic costs of further cortical expansion. Our proposed model delineates explicit mechanistic links among metabolism, molecular and cellular brain heterogeneity, and behavior, which may lead toward a clearer understanding of brain development and its disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea I Luppi
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences and Division of Anaesthesia, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- The Alan Turing Institute, London, UK
| | - Fernando E Rosas
- Department of Informatics, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
- Centre for Psychedelic Research, Department of Brain Science, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Centre for Complexity Science, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Centre for Eudaimonia and Human Flourishing, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - MaryAnn P Noonan
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Pedro A M Mediano
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Psychology, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
- Department of Computing, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Morten L Kringelbach
- Centre for Eudaimonia and Human Flourishing, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Center for Music in the Brain, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Robin L Carhart-Harris
- Psychedelics Division-Neuroscape, Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Emmanuel A Stamatakis
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences and Division of Anaesthesia, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Anthony C Vernon
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Federico E Turkheimer
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Porubsky D, Eichler EE. A 25-year odyssey of genomic technology advances and structural variant discovery. Cell 2024; 187:1024-1037. [PMID: 38290514 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.01.002] [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: 10/07/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
This perspective focuses on advances in genome technology over the last 25 years and their impact on germline variant discovery within the field of human genetics. The field has witnessed tremendous technological advances from microarrays to short-read sequencing and now long-read sequencing. Each technology has provided genome-wide access to different classes of human genetic variation. We are now on the verge of comprehensive variant detection of all forms of variation for the first time with a single assay. We predict that this transition will further transform our understanding of human health and biology and, more importantly, provide novel insights into the dynamic mutational processes shaping our genomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David Porubsky
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Evan E Eichler
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Xu L, Yuan Z, Zhou J, Zhao Y, Liu W, Lu S, He Z, Qiang B, Shu P, Chen Y, Peng X. Temporal transcriptomic dynamics in developing macaque neocortex. eLife 2024; 12:RP90325. [PMID: 38415809 PMCID: PMC10911584 DOI: 10.7554/elife.90325] [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] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite intense research on mice, the transcriptional regulation of neocortical neurogenesis remains limited in humans and non-human primates. Cortical development in rhesus macaque is known to recapitulate multiple facets of cortical development in humans, including the complex composition of neural stem cells and the thicker supragranular layer. To characterize temporal shifts in transcriptomic programming responsible for differentiation from stem cells to neurons, we sampled parietal lobes of rhesus macaque at E40, E50, E70, E80, and E90, spanning the full period of prenatal neurogenesis. Single-cell RNA sequencing produced a transcriptomic atlas of developing parietal lobe in rhesus macaque neocortex. Identification of distinct cell types and neural stem cells emerging in different developmental stages revealed a terminally bifurcating trajectory from stem cells to neurons. Notably, deep-layer neurons appear in the early stages of neurogenesis, while upper-layer neurons appear later. While these different lineages show overlap in their differentiation program, cell fates are determined post-mitotically. Trajectories analysis from ventricular radial glia (vRGs) to outer radial glia (oRGs) revealed dynamic gene expression profiles and identified differential activation of BMP, FGF, and WNT signaling pathways between vRGs and oRGs. These results provide a comprehensive overview of the temporal patterns of gene expression leading to different fates of radial glial progenitors during neocortex layer formation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Longjiang Xu
- Institute of Medical Biology Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical CollegeKunmingChina
| | - Zan Yuan
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Medical Primate Research Center, Neuroscience Center, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
- Agricultural Bioinformatics Key Laboratory of Hubei Province, Hubei Engineering Technology Research Center of Agricultural Big Data, College of Informatics, Huazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanChina
| | - Jiafeng Zhou
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Medical Primate Research Center, Neuroscience Center, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
- State Key Laboratory of Common Mechanism Research for Major Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
| | - Yuan Zhao
- Institute of Medical Biology Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical CollegeKunmingChina
| | - Wei Liu
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Medical Primate Research Center, Neuroscience Center, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
- State Key Laboratory of Common Mechanism Research for Major Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
| | - Shuaiyao Lu
- Institute of Medical Biology Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical CollegeKunmingChina
| | - Zhanlong He
- Institute of Medical Biology Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical CollegeKunmingChina
| | - Boqin Qiang
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Medical Primate Research Center, Neuroscience Center, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
- State Key Laboratory of Common Mechanism Research for Major Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
| | - Pengcheng Shu
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Medical Primate Research Center, Neuroscience Center, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
- State Key Laboratory of Common Mechanism Research for Major Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
- Chinese Institute for Brain ResearchBeijingChina
| | - Yang Chen
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Medical Primate Research Center, Neuroscience Center, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
- State Key Laboratory of Common Mechanism Research for Major Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
| | - Xiaozhong Peng
- Institute of Medical Biology Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical CollegeKunmingChina
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Medical Primate Research Center, Neuroscience Center, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Health and Multimorbidity, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
- Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Dehay C, Huttner WB. Development and evolution of the primate neocortex from a progenitor cell perspective. Development 2024; 151:dev199797. [PMID: 38369736 DOI: 10.1242/dev.199797] [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] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
The generation of neurons in the developing neocortex is a major determinant of neocortex size. Crucially, the increase in cortical neuron numbers in the primate lineage, notably in the upper-layer neurons, contributes to increased cognitive abilities. Here, we review major evolutionary changes affecting the apical progenitors in the ventricular zone and focus on the key germinal zone constituting the foundation of neocortical neurogenesis in primates, the outer subventricular zone (OSVZ). We summarize characteristic features of the OSVZ and its key stem cell type, the basal (or outer) radial glia. Next, we concentrate on primate-specific and human-specific genes, expressed in OSVZ-progenitors, the ability of which to amplify these progenitors by targeting the regulation of the cell cycle ultimately underlies the evolutionary increase in upper-layer neurons. Finally, we address likely differences in neocortical development between present-day humans and Neanderthals that are based on human-specific amino acid substitutions in proteins operating in cortical progenitors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Colette Dehay
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Inserm, Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute U1208, F-69500 Bron, France
| | - Wieland B Huttner
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Pfotenhauerstrasse 108, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Li Y, He J. Neural Stem Cell Competition. Neurosci Bull 2024; 40:277-279. [PMID: 37847447 PMCID: PMC10838871 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-023-01121-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Yanan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Jie He
- State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Huttner WB, Heide M, Mora-Bermúdez F, Namba T. Neocortical neurogenesis in development and evolution-Human-specific features. J Comp Neurol 2024; 532:e25576. [PMID: 38189676 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25576] [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: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
In this review, we focus on human-specific features of neocortical neurogenesis in development and evolution. Two distinct topics will be addressed. In the first section, we discuss the expansion of the neocortex during human evolution and concentrate on the human-specific gene ARHGAP11B. We review the ability of ARHGAP11B to amplify basal progenitors and to expand a primate neocortex. We discuss the contribution of ARHGAP11B to neocortex expansion during human evolution and its potential implications for neurodevelopmental disorders and brain tumors. We then review the action of ARHGAP11B in mitochondria as a regulator of basal progenitor metabolism, and how it promotes glutaminolysis and basal progenitor proliferation. Finally, we discuss the increase in cognitive performance due to the ARHGAP11B-induced neocortical expansion. In the second section, we focus on neocortical development in modern humans versus Neanderthals. Specifically, we discuss two recent findings pointing to differences in neocortical neurogenesis between these two hominins that are due to a small number of amino acid substitutions in certain key proteins. One set of such proteins are the kinetochore-associated proteins KIF18a and KNL1, where three modern human-specific amino acid substitutions underlie the prolongation of metaphase during apical progenitor mitosis. This prolongation in turn is associated with an increased fidelity of chromosome segregation to the apical progenitor progeny during modern human neocortical development, with implications for the proper formation of radial units. Another such key protein is transketolase-like 1 (TKTL1), where a single modern human-specific amino acid substitution endows TKTL1 with the ability to amplify basal radial glia, resulting in an increase in upper-layer neuron generation. TKTL1's ability is based on its action in the pentose phosphate pathway, resulting in increased fatty acid synthesis. The data imply greater neurogenesis during neocortical development in modern humans than Neanderthals due to TKTL1, in particular in the developing frontal lobe.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wieland B Huttner
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | - Michael Heide
- German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
| | | | - Takashi Namba
- Neuroscience Center, HiLIFE - Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Zhuang XL, Shao Y, Chen CY, Zhou L, Yao YG, Cooper DN, Zhang GJ, Wang W, Wu DD. Divergent Evolutionary Rates of Primate Brain Regions as Revealed by Genomics and Transcriptomics. Genome Biol Evol 2024; 16:evae023. [PMID: 38314830 PMCID: PMC10881106 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evae023] [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: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Although the primate brain contains numerous functionally distinct structures that have experienced diverse genetic changes during the course of evolution and development, these changes remain to be explored in detail. Here we utilize two classic metrics from evolutionary biology, the evolutionary rate index (ERI) and the transcriptome age index (TAI), to investigate the evolutionary alterations that have occurred in each area and developmental stage of the primate brain. We observed a higher evolutionary rate for those genes expressed in the non-cortical areas during primate evolution, particularly in human, with the highest rate of evolution being exhibited at brain developmental stages between late infancy and early childhood. Further, the transcriptome age of the non-cortical areas was lower than that of the cerebral cortex, with the youngest age apparent at brain developmental stages between late infancy and early childhood. Our exploration of the evolutionary patterns manifest in each brain area and developmental stage provides important reference points for further research into primate brain evolution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Lin Zhuang
- Key Laboratory of Genetic Evolution & Animal Models, Kunming Natural History Museum of Zoology, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650204, China
| | - Yong Shao
- Key Laboratory of Genetic Evolution & Animal Models, Kunming Natural History Museum of Zoology, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650204, China
| | - Chun-Yan Chen
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, China
| | - Long Zhou
- Center of Evolutionary & Organismal Biology, and Women's Hospital at Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310000, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Yong-Gang Yao
- Key Laboratory of Genetic Evolution & Animal Models, Kunming Natural History Museum of Zoology, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650204, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences & Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, China
- National Resource Center for Non-Human Primates, Kunming Primate Research Center, and National Research Facility for Phenotypic & Genetic Analysis of Model Animals (Primate Facility), Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650107, China
- KIZ-CUHK Joint Laboratory of Bioresources and Molecular Research in Common Diseases, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, China
| | - David N Cooper
- Institute of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK
| | - Guo-Jie Zhang
- Center of Evolutionary & Organismal Biology, and Women's Hospital at Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310000, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Wen Wang
- Key Laboratory of Genetic Evolution & Animal Models, Kunming Natural History Museum of Zoology, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, China
| | - Dong-Dong Wu
- Key Laboratory of Genetic Evolution & Animal Models, Kunming Natural History Museum of Zoology, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China
- National Resource Center for Non-Human Primates, Kunming Primate Research Center, and National Research Facility for Phenotypic & Genetic Analysis of Model Animals (Primate Facility), Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650107, China
- KIZ-CUHK Joint Laboratory of Bioresources and Molecular Research in Common Diseases, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, China
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Piszczek L, Kaczanowska J, Haubensak W. Towards correlative archaeology of the human mind. Biol Chem 2024; 405:5-12. [PMID: 37819768 PMCID: PMC10687516 DOI: 10.1515/hsz-2023-0199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
Retracing human cognitive origins started out at the systems level with the top-down interpretation of archaeological records spanning from man-made artifacts to endocasts of ancient skulls. With emerging evolutionary genetics and organoid technologies, it is now possible to deconstruct evolutionary processes on a molecular/cellular level from the bottom-up by functionally testing archaic alleles in experimental models. The current challenge is to complement these approaches with novel strategies that allow a holistic reconstruction of evolutionary patterns across human cognitive domains. We argue that computational neuroarcheology can provide such a critical mesoscale framework at the brain network-level, linking molecular/cellular (bottom-up) to systems (top-down) level data for the correlative archeology of the human mind.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lukasz Piszczek
- Department of Neuronal Cell Biology, Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, A-Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Wulf Haubensak
- Department of Neuronal Cell Biology, Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, A-Vienna, Austria
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, A-1030Vienna, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
McClellan JM, Zoghbi AW, Buxbaum JD, Cappi C, Crowley JJ, Flint J, Grice DE, Gulsuner S, Iyegbe C, Jain S, Kuo PH, Lattig MC, Passos-Bueno MR, Purushottam M, Stein DJ, Sunshine AB, Susser ES, Walsh CA, Wootton O, King MC. An evolutionary perspective on complex neuropsychiatric disease. Neuron 2024; 112:7-24. [PMID: 38016473 PMCID: PMC10842497 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.10.037] [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: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023]
Abstract
The forces of evolution-mutation, selection, migration, and genetic drift-shape the genetic architecture of human traits, including the genetic architecture of complex neuropsychiatric illnesses. Studying these illnesses in populations that are diverse in genetic ancestry, historical demography, and cultural history can reveal how evolutionary forces have guided adaptation over time and place. A fundamental truth of shared human biology is that an allele responsible for a disease in anyone, anywhere, reveals a gene critical to the normal biology underlying that condition in everyone, everywhere. Understanding the genetic causes of neuropsychiatric disease in the widest possible range of human populations thus yields the greatest possible range of insight into genes critical to human brain development. In this perspective, we explore some of the relationships between genes, adaptation, and history that can be illuminated by an evolutionary perspective on studies of complex neuropsychiatric disease in diverse populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jon M McClellan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Anthony W Zoghbi
- Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Joseph D Buxbaum
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Carolina Cappi
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - James J Crowley
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Jonathan Flint
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Dorothy E Grice
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Suleyman Gulsuner
- Department of Medicine and Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Conrad Iyegbe
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Sanjeev Jain
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru 560029, India
| | - Po-Hsiu Kuo
- Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei 100, Taiwan
| | | | | | - Meera Purushottam
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru 560029, India
| | - Dan J Stein
- SAMRC Unit on Risk and Resilience in Mental Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Anna B Sunshine
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Department of Medicine and Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Ezra S Susser
- Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, and New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Christopher A Walsh
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Division of Genetics and Genomics and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Olivia Wootton
- SAMRC Unit on Risk and Resilience in Mental Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Mary-Claire King
- Department of Medicine and Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Abstract
Brain development in humans is achieved through precise spatiotemporal genetic control, the mechanisms of which remain largely elusive. Recently, integration of technological advances in human stem cell-based modelling with genome editing has emerged as a powerful platform to establish causative links between genotypes and phenotypes directly in the human system. Here, we review our current knowledge of complex genetic regulation of each key step of human brain development through the lens of evolutionary specialization and neurodevelopmental disorders and highlight the use of human stem cell-derived 2D cultures and 3D brain organoids to investigate human-enriched features and disease mechanisms. We also discuss opportunities and challenges of integrating new technologies to reveal the genetic architecture of human brain development and disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yi Zhou
- Department of Neuroscience and Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Hongjun Song
- Department of Neuroscience and Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- The Epigenetics Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Guo-Li Ming
- Department of Neuroscience and Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Usui N. Possible roles of deep cortical neurons and oligodendrocytes in the neural basis of human sociality. Anat Sci Int 2024; 99:34-47. [PMID: 38010534 PMCID: PMC10771383 DOI: 10.1007/s12565-023-00747-1] [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: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Sociality is an instinctive property of organisms that live in relation to others and is a complex characteristic of higher order brain functions. However, the evolution of the human brain to acquire higher order brain functions, such as sociality, and the neural basis for executing these functions and their control mechanisms are largely unknown. Several studies have attempted to evaluate how human sociality was acquired during the course of evolution and the mechanisms controlling sociality from a neurodevelopment viewpoint. This review discusses these findings in the context of human brain evolution and the pathophysiology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Comparative genomic studies of postmortem primate brains have demonstrated human-specific regulatory mechanisms underlying higher order brain functions, providing evidence for the contribution of oligodendrocytes to human brain function. Functional analyses of the causative genes of ASD in animal models have demonstrated that the neural basis of social behavior is associated with layer 6 (L6) of the neocortex and oligodendrocytes. These findings demonstrate that both neurons and oligodendrocytes contribute to the neural basis and molecular mechanisms underlying human brain evolution and social functioning. This review provides novel insights into sociability and the corresponding neural bases of brain disorders and evolution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Noriyoshi Usui
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Japan.
- Omics Center, Center of Medical Innovation and Translational Research, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Japan.
- United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Japan.
- Global Center for Medical Engineering and Informatics, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Japan.
- Addiction Research Unit, Osaka Psychiatric Research Center, Osaka Psychiatric Medical Center, Osaka, 541-8567, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Akula SK, Exposito-Alonso D, Walsh CA. Shaping the brain: The emergence of cortical structure and folding. Dev Cell 2023; 58:2836-2849. [PMID: 38113850 PMCID: PMC10793202 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2023.11.004] [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: 09/13/2022] [Revised: 04/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
The cerebral cortex-the brain's covering and largest region-has increased in size and complexity in humans and supports higher cognitive functions such as language and abstract thinking. There is a growing understanding of the human cerebral cortex, including the diversity and number of cell types that it contains, as well as of the developmental mechanisms that shape cortical structure and organization. In this review, we discuss recent progress in our understanding of molecular and cellular processes, as well as mechanical forces, that regulate the folding of the cerebral cortex. Advances in human genetics, coupled with experimental modeling in gyrencephalic species, have provided insights into the central role of cortical progenitors in the gyrification and evolutionary expansion of the cerebral cortex. These studies are essential for understanding the emergence of structural and functional organization during cortical development and the pathogenesis of neurodevelopmental disorders associated with cortical malformations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shyam K Akula
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Allen Discovery Center for Human Brain Evolution, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, Maryland, USA
| | - David Exposito-Alonso
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Allen Discovery Center for Human Brain Evolution, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, Maryland, USA
| | - Christopher A Walsh
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Allen Discovery Center for Human Brain Evolution, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, Maryland, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Macionis V. Fetal head-down posture may explain the rapid brain evolution in humans and other primates: An interpretative review. Brain Res 2023; 1820:148558. [PMID: 37634686 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2023.148558] [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: 08/05/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023]
Abstract
Evolutionary cerebrovascular consequences of upside-down postural verticality of the anthropoid fetus have been largely overlooked in the literature. This working hypothesis-based report provides a literature interpretation from an aspect that the rapid evolution of the human brain has been promoted by fetal head-down position due to maternal upright and semi-upright posture. Habitual vertical torso posture is a feature not only of humans, but also of monkeys and non-human apes that spend considerable time in a sitting position. Consequently, the head-down position of the fetus may have caused physiological craniovascular hypertension that stimulated expansion of the intracranial vessels and acted as an epigenetic physiological stress, which enhanced neurogenesis and eventually, along with other selective pressures, led to the progressive growth of the anthropoid brain and its organization. This article collaterally opens a new insight into the conundrum of high cephalopelvic proportions (i.e., the tight fit between the pelvic birth canal and fetal head) in phylogenetically distant lineages of monkeys, lesser apes, and humans. Low cephalopelvic proportions in non-human great apes could be accounted for by their energetically efficient horizontal nest-sleeping and consequently by their larger body mass compared to monkeys and lesser apes that sleep upright. One can further hypothesize that brain size varies in anthropoids according to the degree of exposure of the fetus to postural verticality. The supporting evidence for this postulation includes a finding that in fossil hominins cerebral blood flow rate increased faster than brain volume. This testable hypothesis opens a perspective for research on fetal postural cerebral hemodynamics.
Collapse
|
21
|
Naeimzadeh Y, Ilbeigi S, Dastsooz H, Rafiee Monjezi M, Mansoori Y, Tabei SMB. Protooncogenic Role of ARHGAP11A and ARHGAP11B in Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: Two Promising Breast Cancer Biomarkers. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 2023:8236853. [PMID: 38046902 PMCID: PMC10689071 DOI: 10.1155/2023/8236853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
Invasive duct carcinoma (IDC) is one of the most common types of breast cancer (BC) in women worldwide, with a high risk of malignancy, metastasis, recurrence, and death. So far, molecular patterns among IDC cases have not been fully defined. However, extensive evidence has shown that dysregulated Rho family small GTPases (Rho GTPases) including Rho GTPase activating proteins (RhoGAPs) have important roles in the invasive features of IDCs. In the current study, we analyzed the expression levels of two RhoGAP genes, ARHGAP11A and ARHGAP11B, in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) breast cancer (BRCA) and also our 51 IDC tumors compared to their matched normal tissues using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Our TCGA data analysis revealed higher expression of ARHGAP11A and ARHGAP11B in various cancers comprising BCs. Also, we found correlations between these genes and other genes in TCGA-BRCA. Moreover, our methylation analysis showed that their promotor methylation had a negative correlation with their overexpression. QPCR revealed their significant upregulation in our tumor samples. Furthermore, we found that the expression level of ARHGAP11A was considerably lower in women who were breastfeeding. Moreover, it had overexpression in cases who had regular menstrual cycles and early age (younger than 14) at menarche. However, ARHGAP11B had a higher expression in HER2-positive tumors versus HER2-positive and ER-positive tumors. Our study found possible protooncogenic roles for these genes and their involvement in IDC pathogenesis and malignancy. Therefore, they can be considered novel prognostic and diagnostic biomarkers for IDC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Y. Naeimzadeh
- School of Advanced Medical Sciences and Technologies, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - S. Ilbeigi
- Walther-Straub Institute, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - H. Dastsooz
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
- Candiolo, C/o IRCCS, IIGM-Italian Institute for Genomic Medicine, Turin, Italy
- Candiolo Cancer (IT), FPO-IRCCS, Candiolo Cancer Institute, Turin, Italy
| | - M. Rafiee Monjezi
- Institute for Cardiovascular Prevention, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Y. Mansoori
- Noncommunicable Diseases Research Center, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran
| | - S. M. B. Tabei
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Zhang R, Quan H, Wang Y, Luo F. Neurogenesis in primates versus rodents and the value of non-human primate models. Natl Sci Rev 2023; 10:nwad248. [PMID: 38025664 PMCID: PMC10659238 DOI: 10.1093/nsr/nwad248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurogenesis, the process of generating neurons from neural stem cells, occurs during both embryonic and adult stages, with each stage possessing distinct characteristics. Dysfunction in either stage can disrupt normal neural development, impair cognitive functions, and lead to various neurological disorders. Recent technological advancements in single-cell multiomics and gene-editing have facilitated investigations into primate neurogenesis. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of neurogenesis across rodents, non-human primates, and humans, covering embryonic development to adulthood and focusing on the conservation and diversity among species. While non-human primates, especially monkeys, serve as valuable models with closer neural resemblance to humans, we highlight the potential impacts and limitations of non-human primate models on both physiological and pathological neurogenesis research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Runrui Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research; Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Hongxin Quan
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research; Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Yinfeng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research; Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Fucheng Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research; Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming 650500, China
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
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] [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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Kim CN, Shin D, Wang A, Nowakowski TJ. Spatiotemporal molecular dynamics of the developing human thalamus. Science 2023; 382:eadf9941. [PMID: 37824646 PMCID: PMC10758299 DOI: 10.1126/science.adf9941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
The thalamus plays a central coordinating role in the brain. Thalamic neurons are organized into spatially distinct nuclei, but the molecular architecture of thalamic development is poorly understood, especially in humans. To begin to delineate the molecular trajectories of cell fate specification and organization in the developing human thalamus, we used single-cell and multiplexed spatial transcriptomics. We show that molecularly defined thalamic neurons differentiate in the second trimester of human development and that these neurons organize into spatially and molecularly distinct nuclei. We identified major subtypes of glutamatergic neuron subtypes that are differentially enriched in anatomically distinct nuclei and six subtypes of γ-aminobutyric acid-mediated (GABAergic) neurons that are shared and distinct across thalamic nuclei.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chang N Kim
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Department of Anatomy, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - David Shin
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Department of Anatomy, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Albert Wang
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Tomasz J Nowakowski
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Department of Anatomy, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Pollen AA, Kilik U, Lowe CB, Camp JG. Human-specific genetics: new tools to explore the molecular and cellular basis of human evolution. Nat Rev Genet 2023; 24:687-711. [PMID: 36737647 PMCID: PMC9897628 DOI: 10.1038/s41576-022-00568-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Our ancestors acquired morphological, cognitive and metabolic modifications that enabled humans to colonize diverse habitats, develop extraordinary technologies and reshape the biosphere. Understanding the genetic, developmental and molecular bases for these changes will provide insights into how we became human. Connecting human-specific genetic changes to species differences has been challenging owing to an abundance of low-effect size genetic changes, limited descriptions of phenotypic differences across development at the level of cell types and lack of experimental models. Emerging approaches for single-cell sequencing, genetic manipulation and stem cell culture now support descriptive and functional studies in defined cell types with a human or ape genetic background. In this Review, we describe how the sequencing of genomes from modern and archaic hominins, great apes and other primates is revealing human-specific genetic changes and how new molecular and cellular approaches - including cell atlases and organoids - are enabling exploration of the candidate causal factors that underlie human-specific traits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alex A Pollen
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Umut Kilik
- Institute of Human Biology (IHB), Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Craig B Lowe
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA.
| | - J Gray Camp
- Institute of Human Biology (IHB), Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Yoshimatsu S, Okahara J, Yoshie J, Igarashi Y, Nakajima R, Sanosaka T, Qian E, Sato T, Kobayashi H, Morimoto S, Kishi N, Pillis DM, Malik P, Noce T, Okano H. Generation of a tyrosine hydroxylase-2A-Cre knockin non-human primate model by homology-directed-repair-biased CRISPR genome editing. CELL REPORTS METHODS 2023; 3:100590. [PMID: 37714158 PMCID: PMC10545943 DOI: 10.1016/j.crmeth.2023.100590] [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: 01/04/2023] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023]
Abstract
Non-human primates (NHPs) are the closest animal model to humans; thus, gene engineering technology in these species holds great promise for the elucidation of higher brain functions and human disease models. Knockin (KI) gene targeting is a versatile approach to modify gene(s) of interest; however, it generally suffers from the low efficiency of homology-directed repair (HDR) in mammalian cells, especially in non-expressed gene loci. In the current study, we generated a tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-2A-Cre KI model of the common marmoset monkey (marmoset; Callithrix jacchus) using an HDR-biased CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing approach using Cas9-DN1S and RAD51. This model should enable labeling and modification of a specific neuronal lineage using the Cre-loxP system. Collectively, the current study paves the way for versatile gene engineering in NHPs, which may be a significant step toward further biomedical and preclinical applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sho Yoshimatsu
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Keio University, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan; Laboratory for Marmoset Neural Architecture, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako City, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Junko Okahara
- Laboratory for Marmoset Neural Architecture, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako City, Saitama 351-0198, Japan; Central Institute for Experimental Animals, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa 210-0821, Japan.
| | - Junko Yoshie
- Laboratory for Marmoset Neural Architecture, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako City, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Yoko Igarashi
- Laboratory for Marmoset Neural Architecture, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako City, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Ryusuke Nakajima
- Laboratory for Marmoset Neural Architecture, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako City, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Tsukasa Sanosaka
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Keio University, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
| | - Emi Qian
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Keio University, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
| | - Tsukika Sato
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Keio University, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan; Laboratory for Marmoset Neural Architecture, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako City, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Hiroya Kobayashi
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Keio University, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
| | - Satoru Morimoto
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Keio University, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
| | - Noriyuki Kishi
- Laboratory for Marmoset Neural Architecture, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako City, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Devin M Pillis
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cancer and Blood Diseases Institute (CBDI), Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC), Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Punam Malik
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cancer and Blood Diseases Institute (CBDI), Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC), Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA; Division of Hematology, CBDI, CCHMC, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Toshiaki Noce
- Laboratory for Marmoset Neural Architecture, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako City, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Hideyuki Okano
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Keio University, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan; Laboratory for Marmoset Neural Architecture, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako City, Saitama 351-0198, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Matrongolo MJ, Ho-Nguyen KT, Jain M, Ang PS, Reddy A, Schaper S, Tischfield MA. Loss of Twist1 and balanced retinoic acid signaling from the meninges causes cortical folding in mice. Development 2023; 150:dev201381. [PMID: 37590085 DOI: 10.1242/dev.201381] [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: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
Secondary lissencephaly evolved in mice due to effects on neurogenesis and the tangential distribution of neurons. Signaling pathways that help maintain lissencephaly are still poorly understood. We show that inactivating Twist1 in the primitive meninges causes cortical folding in mice. Cell proliferation in the meninges is reduced, causing loss of arachnoid fibroblasts that express Raldh2, an enzyme required for retinoic acid synthesis. Regionalized loss of Raldh2 in the dorsolateral meninges is first detected when folding begins. The ventricular zone expands and the forebrain lengthens at this time due to expansion of apical radial glia. As the cortex expands, regionalized differences in the levels of neurogenesis are coupled with changes to the tangential distribution of neurons. Consequentially, cortical growth at and adjacent to the midline accelerates with respect to more dorsolateral regions, resulting in cortical buckling and folding. Maternal retinoic acid supplementation suppresses cortical folding by normalizing forebrain length, neurogenesis and the tangential distribution of neurons. These results suggest that Twist1 and balanced retinoic acid signaling from the meninges are required to maintain normal levels of neurogenesis and lissencephaly in mice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matt J Matrongolo
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
- Child Health Institute of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | - Khue-Tu Ho-Nguyen
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
- Child Health Institute of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | - Manav Jain
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
- Child Health Institute of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | - Phillip S Ang
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
- Child Health Institute of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
- University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Akash Reddy
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
- Child Health Institute of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | - Samantha Schaper
- Child Health Institute of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | - Max A Tischfield
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
- Child Health Institute of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Moffat A, Schuurmans C. The Control of Cortical Folding: Multiple Mechanisms, Multiple Models. Neuroscientist 2023:10738584231190839. [PMID: 37621149 DOI: 10.1177/10738584231190839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
The cerebral cortex develops through a carefully conscripted series of cellular and molecular events that culminate in the production of highly specialized neuronal and glial cells. During development, cortical neurons and glia acquire a precise cellular arrangement and architecture to support higher-order cognitive functioning. Decades of study using rodent models, naturally gyrencephalic animal models, human pathology specimens, and, recently, human cerebral organoids, reveal that rodents recapitulate some but not all the cellular and molecular features of human cortices. Whereas rodent cortices are smooth-surfaced or lissencephalic, larger mammals, including humans and nonhuman primates, have highly folded/gyrencephalic cortices that accommodate an expansion in neuronal mass and increase in surface area. Several genes have evolved to drive cortical gyrification, arising from gene duplications or de novo origins, or by alterations to the structure/function of ancestral genes or their gene regulatory regions. Primary cortical folds arise in stereotypical locations, prefigured by a molecular "blueprint" that is set up by several signaling pathways (e.g., Notch, Fgf, Wnt, PI3K, Shh) and influenced by the extracellular matrix. Mutations that affect neural progenitor cell proliferation and/or neurogenesis, predominantly of upper-layer neurons, perturb cortical gyrification. Below we review the molecular drivers of cortical folding and their roles in disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Moffat
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Biological Sciences Platform, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Carol Schuurmans
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Biological Sciences Platform, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Kim CN, Shin D, Wang A, Nowakowski TJ. Spatiotemporal molecular dynamics of the developing human thalamus. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.21.554174. [PMID: 37662287 PMCID: PMC10473600 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.21.554174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
The thalamus plays a central coordinating role in the brain. Thalamic neurons are organized into spatially-distinct nuclei, but the molecular architecture of thalamic development is poorly understood, especially in humans. To begin to delineate the molecular trajectories of cell fate specification and organization in the developing human thalamus, we used single cell and multiplexed spatial transcriptomics. Here we show that molecularly-defined thalamic neurons differentiate in the second trimester of human development, and that these neurons organize into spatially and molecularly distinct nuclei. We identify major subtypes of glutamatergic neuron subtypes that are differentially enriched in anatomically distinct nuclei. In addition, we identify six subtypes of GABAergic neurons that are shared and distinct across thalamic nuclei. One-Sentence Summary Single cell and spatial profiling of the developing thalamus in the first and second trimester yields molecular mechanisms of thalamic nuclei development.
Collapse
|
30
|
Wu L, Lambert JD. Clade-specific genes and the evolutionary origin of novelty; new tools in the toolkit. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2023; 145:52-59. [PMID: 35659164 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2022.05.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Clade-specific (a.k.a. lineage-specific) genes are very common and found at all taxonomic levels and in all clades examined. They can arise by duplication of previously existing genes, which can involve partial truncations or combinations with other protein domains or regulatory sequences. They can also evolve de novo from non-coding sequences, leading to potentially truly novel protein domains. Finally, since clade-specific genes are generally defined by lack of sequence homology with other proteins, they can also arise by sequence evolution that is rapid enough that previous sequence homology can no longer be detected. In such cases, where the rapid evolution is followed by constraint, we consider them to be ontologically non-novel but likely novel at a functional level. In general, clade-specific genes have received less attention from biologists but there are increasing numbers of fascinating examples of their roles in important traits. Here we review some selected recent examples, and argue that attention to clade-specific genes is an important corrective to the focus on the conserved developmental regulatory toolkit that has been the habit of evo-devo as a field. Finally, we discuss questions that arise about the evolution of clade-specific genes, and how these might be addressed by future studies. We highlight the hypothesis that clade-specific genes are more likely to be involved in synapomorphies that arose in the stem group where they appeared, compared to other genes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Longjun Wu
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, USA
| | - J David Lambert
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
She R, Fair T, Schaefer NK, Saunders RA, Pavlovic BJ, Weissman JS, Pollen AA. Comparative landscape of genetic dependencies in human and chimpanzee stem cells. Cell 2023; 186:2977-2994.e23. [PMID: 37343560 PMCID: PMC10461406 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.05.043] [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: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
Comparative studies of great apes provide a window into our evolutionary past, but the extent and identity of cellular differences that emerged during hominin evolution remain largely unexplored. We established a comparative loss-of-function approach to evaluate whether human cells exhibit distinct genetic dependencies. By performing genome-wide CRISPR interference screens in human and chimpanzee pluripotent stem cells, we identified 75 genes with species-specific effects on cellular proliferation. These genes comprised coherent processes, including cell-cycle progression and lysosomal signaling, which we determined to be human-derived by comparison with orangutan cells. Human-specific robustness to CDK2 and CCNE1 depletion persisted in neural progenitor cells and cerebral organoids, supporting the G1-phase length hypothesis as a potential evolutionary mechanism in human brain expansion. Our findings demonstrate that evolutionary changes in human cells reshaped the landscape of essential genes and establish a platform for systematically uncovering latent cellular and molecular differences between species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Richard She
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Tyler Fair
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Nathan K Schaefer
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Reuben A Saunders
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Bryan J Pavlovic
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jonathan S Weissman
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
| | - Alex A Pollen
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Vaill M, Kawanishi K, Varki N, Gagneux P, Varki A. Comparative physiological anthropogeny: exploring molecular underpinnings of distinctly human phenotypes. Physiol Rev 2023; 103:2171-2229. [PMID: 36603157 PMCID: PMC10151058 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00040.2021] [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: 11/05/2021] [Revised: 12/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Anthropogeny is a classic term encompassing transdisciplinary investigations of the origins of the human species. Comparative anthropogeny is a systematic comparison of humans and other living nonhuman hominids (so-called "great apes"), aiming to identify distinctly human features in health and disease, with the overall goal of explaining human origins. We begin with a historical perspective, briefly describing how the field progressed from the earliest evolutionary insights to the current emphasis on in-depth molecular and genomic investigations of "human-specific" biology and an increased appreciation for cultural impacts on human biology. While many such genetic differences between humans and other hominids have been revealed over the last two decades, this information remains insufficient to explain the most distinctive phenotypic traits distinguishing humans from other living hominids. Here we undertake a complementary approach of "comparative physiological anthropogeny," along the lines of the preclinical medical curriculum, i.e., beginning with anatomy and considering each physiological system and in each case considering genetic and molecular components that are relevant. What is ultimately needed is a systematic comparative approach at all levels from molecular to physiological to sociocultural, building networks of related information, drawing inferences, and generating testable hypotheses. The concluding section will touch on distinctive considerations in the study of human evolution, including the importance of gene-culture interactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael Vaill
- Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
- Glycobiology Research and Training Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Kunio Kawanishi
- Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
- Department of Experimental Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Nissi Varki
- Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
- Glycobiology Research and Training Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
- Department of Pathology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Pascal Gagneux
- Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
- Glycobiology Research and Training Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
- Department of Pathology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Ajit Varki
- Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
- Glycobiology Research and Training Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Koo B, Lee KH, Ming GL, Yoon KJ, Song H. Setting the clock of neural progenitor cells during mammalian corticogenesis. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2023; 142:43-53. [PMID: 35644876 PMCID: PMC9699901 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2022.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Revised: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Radial glial cells (RGCs) as primary neural stem cells in the developing mammalian cortex give rise to diverse types of neurons and glial cells according to sophisticated developmental programs with remarkable spatiotemporal precision. Recent studies suggest that regulation of the temporal competence of RGCs is a key mechanism for the highly conserved and predictable development of the cerebral cortex. Various types of epigenetic regulations, such as DNA methylation, histone modifications, and 3D chromatin architecture, play a key role in shaping the gene expression pattern of RGCs. In addition, epitranscriptomic modifications regulate temporal pre-patterning of RGCs by affecting the turnover rate and function of cell-type-specific transcripts. In this review, we summarize epigenetic and epitranscriptomic regulatory mechanisms that control the temporal competence of RGCs during mammalian corticogenesis. Furthermore, we discuss various developmental elements that also dynamically regulate the temporal competence of RGCs, including biochemical reaction speed, local environmental changes, and subcellular organelle remodeling. Finally, we discuss the underlying mechanisms that regulate the interspecies developmental tempo contributing to human-specific features of brain development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bonsang Koo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Ki-Heon Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Guo-Li Ming
- Department of Neuroscience and Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School for Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School for Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Ki-Jun Yoon
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea.
| | - Hongjun Song
- Department of Neuroscience and Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School for Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School for Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; The Epigenetics Institute, Perelman School for Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by the progressive loss of structure or function of neurons. In this Spotlight, we explore the idea that genetic forms of neurodegenerative disorders might be rooted in neural development. Focusing on Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's disease, we first provide a brief overview of the pathology for these diseases. Although neurodegenerative diseases are generally thought of as late-onset diseases, we discuss recent evidence promoting the notion that they might be considered neurodevelopmental disorders. With this view in mind, we consider the suitability of animal models for studying these diseases, highlighting human-specific features of human brain development. We conclude by proposing that one such feature, human-specific regulation of neurogenic time, might be key to understanding the etiology and pathophysiology of human neurodegenerative disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Khadijeh Shabani
- Institut du Cerveau – Paris Brain Institute – ICM, Sorbonne Université, Inserm, CNRS, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Bassem A. Hassan
- Institut du Cerveau – Paris Brain Institute – ICM, Sorbonne Université, Inserm, CNRS, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, 75013 Paris, France
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Guo Q, Wu S, Geschwind DH. Characterization of Gene Regulatory Elements in Human Fetal Cortical Development: Enhancing Our Understanding of Neurodevelopmental Disorders and Evolution. Dev Neurosci 2023; 46:69-83. [PMID: 37231806 DOI: 10.1159/000530929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The neocortex is the region that most distinguishes human brain from other mammals and primates [Annu Rev Genet. 2021 Nov;55(1):555-81]. Studying the development of human cortex is important in understanding the evolutionary changes occurring in humans relative to other primates, as well as in elucidating mechanisms underlying neurodevelopmental disorders. Cortical development is a highly regulated process, spatially and temporally coordinated by expression of essential transcriptional factors in response to signaling pathways [Neuron. 2019 Sep;103(6):980-1004]. Enhancers are the most well-understood cis-acting, non-protein-coding regulatory elements that regulate gene expression [Nat Rev Genet. 2014 Apr;15(4):272-86]. Importantly, given the conservation of both DNA sequence and molecular function of the majority of proteins across mammals [Genome Res. 2003 Dec;13(12):2507-18], enhancers [Science. 2015 Mar;347(6226):1155-9], which are far more divergent at the sequence level, likely account for the phenotypes that distinguish the human brain by changing the regulation of gene expression. In this review, we will revisit the conceptual framework of gene regulation during human brain development, as well as the evolution of technologies to study transcriptional regulation, with recent advances in genome biology that open a window allowing us to systematically characterize cis-regulatory elements in developing human brain [Hum Mol Genet. 2022 Oct;31(R1):R84-96]. We provide an update on work to characterize the suite of all enhancers in the developing human brain and the implications for understanding neuropsychiatric disorders. Finally, we discuss emerging therapeutic ideas that utilize our emerging knowledge of enhancer function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qiuyu Guo
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Center for Autism Research and Treatment, Semel Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Sarah Wu
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Daniel H Geschwind
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Center for Autism Research and Treatment, Semel Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Institute of Precision Health, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Sakai T, Hata J, Shintaku Y, Ohta H, Sogabe K, Mori S, Miyabe-Nishiwaki T, Okano HJ, Hamada Y, Hirabayashi T, Minamimoto T, Sadato N, Okano H, Oishi K. The Japan Monkey Centre Primates Brain Imaging Repository of high-resolution postmortem magnetic resonance imaging: the second phase of the archive of digital records. Neuroimage 2023; 273:120096. [PMID: 37031828 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Revised: 12/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
A comparison of neuroanatomical features of the brain between humans and our evolutionary relatives, nonhuman primates, is key to understanding the human brain system and the neural basis of mental and neurological disorders. Although most comparative MRI studies of human and nonhuman primate brains have been based on brains of primates that had been used as subjects in experiments, it is essential to investigate various species of nonhuman primates in order to elucidate and interpret the diversity of neuroanatomy features among humans and nonhuman primates. To develop a research platform for this purpose, it is necessary to harmonize the scientific contributions of studies with the standards of animal ethics, animal welfare, and the conservation of brain information for long-term continuation of the field. In previous research, we first developed a gated data-repository of anatomical images obtained using 9.4-T ex vivo MRI of postmortem brain samples from 12 nonhuman primate species, and which are stored at the Japan Monkey Centre. In the present study, as a second phase, we released a collection of T2-weighted images and diffusion tensor images obtained in nine species: white-throated capuchin, Bolivian squirrel monkey, stump-tailed macaque, Tibet monkey, Sykes' monkey, Assamese macaque, pig-tailed macaque, crested macaque, and chimpanzee. Our image repository should facilitate scientific discoveries in the field of comparative neuroscience. This repository can also promote animal ethics and animal welfare in experiments with nonhuman primate models by optimizing methods for in vivo and ex vivo MRI scanning of brains and supporting veterinary neuroradiological education. In addition, the repository is expected to contribute to conservation, preserving information about the brains of various primates, including endangered species, in a permanent digital form.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tomoko Sakai
- Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Functional Brain Imaging, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Chiba, Japan; Division of Regenerative Medicine, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Junichi Hata
- Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan; Division of Regenerative Medicine, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan; Graduate School of Human Health Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan; RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Laboratory for Marmoset Neural Architecture, Wako, Saitama, Japan
| | - Yuta Shintaku
- Wildlife Research Center, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan; Japan Monkey Centre, Inuyama, Aichi, Japan
| | - Hiroki Ohta
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazumi Sogabe
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Radiological Technology, Faculty of Medical Technology, Teikyo University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Susumu Mori
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kenney Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Takako Miyabe-Nishiwaki
- Center for Model Human Evolution Research, Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi, Japan
| | - Hirotaka James Okano
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuzuru Hamada
- Center for Model Human Evolution Research, Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi, Japan
| | - Toshiyuki Hirabayashi
- Department of Functional Brain Imaging, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Chiba, Japan
| | - Takafumi Minamimoto
- Department of Functional Brain Imaging, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Chiba, Japan
| | - Norihiro Sadato
- National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi, Japan
| | - Hideyuki Okano
- Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan; RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Laboratory for Marmoset Neural Architecture, Wako, Saitama, Japan
| | - Kenichi Oishi
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Hayama, Kanagawa, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Kliesmete Z, Wange LE, Vieth B, Esgleas M, Radmer J, Hülsmann M, Geuder J, Richter D, Ohnuki M, Götz M, Hellmann I, Enard W. Regulatory and coding sequences of TRNP1 co-evolve with brain size and cortical folding in mammals. eLife 2023; 12:83593. [PMID: 36947129 PMCID: PMC10032658 DOI: 10.7554/elife.83593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Brain size and cortical folding have increased and decreased recurrently during mammalian evolution. Identifying genetic elements whose sequence or functional properties co-evolve with these traits can provide unique information on evolutionary and developmental mechanisms. A good candidate for such a comparative approach is TRNP1, as it controls proliferation of neural progenitors in mice and ferrets. Here, we investigate the contribution of both regulatory and coding sequences of TRNP1 to brain size and cortical folding in over 30 mammals. We find that the rate of TRNP1 protein evolution (ω) significantly correlates with brain size, slightly less with cortical folding and much less with body size. This brain correlation is stronger than for >95% of random control proteins. This co-evolution is likely affecting TRNP1 activity, as we find that TRNP1 from species with larger brains and more cortical folding induce higher proliferation rates in neural stem cells. Furthermore, we compare the activity of putative cis-regulatory elements (CREs) of TRNP1 in a massively parallel reporter assay and identify one CRE that likely co-evolves with cortical folding in Old World monkeys and apes. Our analyses indicate that coding and regulatory changes that increased TRNP1 activity were positively selected either as a cause or a consequence of increases in brain size and cortical folding. They also provide an example how phylogenetic approaches can inform biological mechanisms, especially when combined with molecular phenotypes across several species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zane Kliesmete
- Anthropology and Human Genomics, Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany
| | - Lucas Esteban Wange
- Anthropology and Human Genomics, Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany
| | - Beate Vieth
- Anthropology and Human Genomics, Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany
| | - Miriam Esgleas
- Physiological Genomics, BioMedical Center - BMC, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany
- Institute for Stem Cell Research, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Germany Research Center for Environmental Health, Munich, Germany
| | - Jessica Radmer
- Anthropology and Human Genomics, Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany
| | - Matthias Hülsmann
- Anthropology and Human Genomics, Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Eawag, Dübendorf, Switzerland
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Johanna Geuder
- Anthropology and Human Genomics, Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany
| | - Daniel Richter
- Anthropology and Human Genomics, Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany
| | - Mari Ohnuki
- Anthropology and Human Genomics, Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany
| | - Magdelena Götz
- Physiological Genomics, BioMedical Center - BMC, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany
- Institute for Stem Cell Research, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Germany Research Center for Environmental Health, Munich, Germany
- SYNERGY, Excellence Cluster of Systems Neurology, BioMedical Center (BMC), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Ines Hellmann
- Anthropology and Human Genomics, Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Enard
- Anthropology and Human Genomics, Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
She R, Fair T, Schaefer NK, Saunders RA, Pavlovic BJ, Weissman JS, Pollen AA. Comparative landscape of genetic dependencies in human and chimpanzee stem cells. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.19.533346. [PMID: 36993685 PMCID: PMC10055274 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.19.533346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Comparative studies of great apes provide a window into our evolutionary past, but the extent and identity of cellular differences that emerged during hominin evolution remain largely unexplored. We established a comparative loss-of-function approach to evaluate whether changes in human cells alter requirements for essential genes. By performing genome-wide CRISPR interference screens in human and chimpanzee pluripotent stem cells, we identified 75 genes with species-specific effects on cellular proliferation. These genes comprised coherent processes, including cell cycle progression and lysosomal signaling, which we determined to be human-derived by comparison with orangutan cells. Human-specific robustness to CDK2 and CCNE1 depletion persisted in neural progenitor cells, providing support for the G1-phase length hypothesis as a potential evolutionary mechanism in human brain expansion. Our findings demonstrate that evolutionary changes in human cells can reshape the landscape of essential genes and establish a platform for systematically uncovering latent cellular and molecular differences between species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Richard She
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
- These authors contributed equally: Richard She, Tyler Fair
| | - Tyler Fair
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- These authors contributed equally: Richard She, Tyler Fair
| | - Nathan K. Schaefer
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Reuben A. Saunders
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Bryan J. Pavlovic
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jonathan S. Weissman
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute Technology, Cambridge 02142, MA
| | - Alex A. Pollen
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Lead contact
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Pilaz LJ, Liu J, Joshi K, Tsunekawa Y, Musso CM, D'Arcy BR, Suzuki IK, Alsina FC, Kc P, Sethi S, Vanderhaeghen P, Polleux F, Silver DL. Subcellular mRNA localization and local translation of Arhgap11a in radial glial progenitors regulates cortical development. Neuron 2023; 111:839-856.e5. [PMID: 36924763 PMCID: PMC10132781 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.02.023] [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: 09/08/2020] [Revised: 11/26/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023]
Abstract
mRNA localization and local translation enable exquisite spatial and temporal control of gene expression, particularly in polarized, elongated cells. These features are especially prominent in radial glial cells (RGCs), which are neural and glial precursors of the developing cerebral cortex and scaffolds for migrating neurons. Yet the mechanisms by which subcellular RGC compartments accomplish their diverse functions are poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that mRNA localization and local translation of the RhoGAP ARHGAP11A in the basal endfeet of RGCs control their morphology and mediate neuronal positioning. Arhgap11a transcript and protein exhibit conserved localization to RGC basal structures in mice and humans, conferred by the 5' UTR. Proper RGC morphology relies upon active Arhgap11a mRNA transport and localization to the basal endfeet, where ARHGAP11A is locally synthesized. This translation is essential for positioning interneurons at the basement membrane. Thus, local translation spatially and acutely activates Rho signaling in RGCs to compartmentalize neural progenitor functions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Louis-Jan Pilaz
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Pediatrics and Rare Diseases Group, Sanford Research, Sioux Falls, SD 57104, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Sioux Falls, SD 57105, USA
| | - Jing Liu
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Kaumudi Joshi
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Yuji Tsunekawa
- Laboratory for Cell Asymmetry, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Japan
| | - Camila M Musso
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Brooke R D'Arcy
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Ikuo K Suzuki
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Fernando C Alsina
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Pratiksha Kc
- Pediatrics and Rare Diseases Group, Sanford Research, Sioux Falls, SD 57104, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Sioux Falls, SD 57105, USA
| | - Sahil Sethi
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Pierre Vanderhaeghen
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; KU Leuven, Department of Neurosciences & Leuven Brain Institute, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Université Libre de Bruxelles (U.L.B.), Institut de Recherches en Biologie Humaine et Moléculaire (IRIBHM), and ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), 1070 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Franck Polleux
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, New York, NY 10027, USA; Kavli Institute for Brain Sciences, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Debra L Silver
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Departments of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Duke Institute for Brain Sciences and Duke Regeneration Center, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Qi J, Mo F, An NA, Mi T, Wang J, Qi J, Li X, Zhang B, Xia L, Lu Y, Sun G, Wang X, Li C, Hu B. A Human-Specific De Novo Gene Promotes Cortical Expansion and Folding. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2204140. [PMID: 36638273 PMCID: PMC9982566 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202204140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Newly originated de novo genes have been linked to the formation and function of the human brain. However, how a specific gene originates from ancestral noncoding DNAs and becomes involved in the preexisting network for functional outcomes remains elusive. Here, a human-specific de novo gene, SP0535, is identified that is preferentially expressed in the ventricular zone of the human fetal brain and plays an important role in cortical development and function. In human embryonic stem cell-derived cortical organoids, knockout of SP0535 compromises their growth and neurogenesis. In SP0535 transgenic (TG) mice, expression of SP0535 induces fetal cortex expansion and sulci and gyri-like structure formation. The progenitors and neurons in the SP0535 TG mouse cortex tend to proliferate and differentiate in ways that are unique to humans. SP0535 TG adult mice also exhibit improved cognitive ability and working memory. Mechanistically, SP0535 interacts with the membrane protein Na+ /K+ ATPase subunit alpha-1 (ATP1A1) and releases Src from the ATP1A1-Src complex, allowing increased level of Src phosphorylation that promotes cell proliferation. Thus, SP0535 is the first proven human-specific de novo gene that promotes cortical expansion and folding, and can function through incorporating into an existing conserved molecular network.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jianhuan Qi
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive BiologyInstitute of ZoologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100101China
- Savaid Medical SchoolUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100049China
| | - Fan Mo
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive BiologyInstitute of ZoologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100101China
- Savaid Medical SchoolUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100049China
| | - Ni A. An
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Genomic MedicineInstitute of Molecular MedicineCollege of Future TechnologyPeking UniversityBeijing100871China
| | - Tingwei Mi
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive BiologyInstitute of ZoologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100101China
| | - Jiaxin Wang
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Genomic MedicineInstitute of Molecular MedicineCollege of Future TechnologyPeking UniversityBeijing100871China
| | - Jun‐Tian Qi
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Genomic MedicineInstitute of Molecular MedicineCollege of Future TechnologyPeking UniversityBeijing100871China
| | - Xiangshang Li
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Genomic MedicineInstitute of Molecular MedicineCollege of Future TechnologyPeking UniversityBeijing100871China
| | - Boya Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive BiologyInstitute of ZoologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100101China
| | - Longkuo Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive BiologyInstitute of ZoologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100101China
- Savaid Medical SchoolUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100049China
| | - Yingfei Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive BiologyInstitute of ZoologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100101China
- Savaid Medical SchoolUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100049China
| | - Gaoying Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive BiologyInstitute of ZoologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100101China
- Savaid Medical SchoolUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100049China
| | - Xinyue Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive BiologyInstitute of ZoologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100101China
- Savaid Medical SchoolUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100049China
| | - Chuan‐Yun Li
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Genomic MedicineInstitute of Molecular MedicineCollege of Future TechnologyPeking UniversityBeijing100871China
| | - Baoyang Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive BiologyInstitute of ZoologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100101China
- Savaid Medical SchoolUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100049China
- Institute for Stem Cell and RegenerationChinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100101China
- Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative MedicineBeijing100101China
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Soto DC, Uribe-Salazar JM, Shew CJ, Sekar A, McGinty SP, Dennis MY. Genomic structural variation: A complex but important driver of human evolution. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2023. [PMID: 36794631 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2022] [Revised: 01/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
Structural variants (SVs)-including duplications, deletions, and inversions of DNA-can have significant genomic and functional impacts but are technically difficult to identify and assay compared with single-nucleotide variants. With the aid of new genomic technologies, it has become clear that SVs account for significant differences across and within species. This phenomenon is particularly well-documented for humans and other primates due to the wealth of sequence data available. In great apes, SVs affect a larger number of nucleotides than single-nucleotide variants, with many identified SVs exhibiting population and species specificity. In this review, we highlight the importance of SVs in human evolution by (1) how they have shaped great ape genomes resulting in sensitized regions associated with traits and diseases, (2) their impact on gene functions and regulation, which subsequently has played a role in natural selection, and (3) the role of gene duplications in human brain evolution. We further discuss how to incorporate SVs in research, including the strengths and limitations of various genomic approaches. Finally, we propose future considerations in integrating existing data and biospecimens with the ever-expanding SV compendium propelled by biotechnology advancements.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniela C Soto
- Genome Center, MIND Institute, Department of Biochemstry & Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, California, USA.,Integrative Genetics and Genomics Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - José M Uribe-Salazar
- Genome Center, MIND Institute, Department of Biochemstry & Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, California, USA.,Integrative Genetics and Genomics Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - Colin J Shew
- Genome Center, MIND Institute, Department of Biochemstry & Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, California, USA.,Integrative Genetics and Genomics Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - Aarthi Sekar
- Genome Center, MIND Institute, Department of Biochemstry & Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, California, USA.,Integrative Genetics and Genomics Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - Sean P McGinty
- Genome Center, MIND Institute, Department of Biochemstry & Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, California, USA.,Integrative Genetics and Genomics Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - Megan Y Dennis
- Genome Center, MIND Institute, Department of Biochemstry & Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, California, USA.,Integrative Genetics and Genomics Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Vanderhaeghen P, Polleux F. Developmental mechanisms underlying the evolution of human cortical circuits. Nat Rev Neurosci 2023; 24:213-232. [PMID: 36792753 PMCID: PMC10064077 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-023-00675-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
The brain of modern humans has evolved remarkable computational abilities that enable higher cognitive functions. These capacities are tightly linked to an increase in the size and connectivity of the cerebral cortex, which is thought to have resulted from evolutionary changes in the mechanisms of cortical development. Convergent progress in evolutionary genomics, developmental biology and neuroscience has recently enabled the identification of genomic changes that act as human-specific modifiers of cortical development. These modifiers influence most aspects of corticogenesis, from the timing and complexity of cortical neurogenesis to synaptogenesis and the assembly of cortical circuits. Mutations of human-specific genetic modifiers of corticogenesis have started to be linked to neurodevelopmental disorders, providing evidence for their physiological relevance and suggesting potential relationships between the evolution of the human brain and its sensitivity to specific diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Vanderhaeghen
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium.
- Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Franck Polleux
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Abstract
Non-human animal chimeras, containing human neurological cells, have been created in the laboratory. Despite a great deal of debate, the status of such beings has not been resolved. Under normal definitions, such a being could either be unconventionally human or abnormally animal. Practical investigations in animal sentience, artificial intelligence, and now chimera research, suggest that such beings may be assumed to have no legal rights, so philosophy could provide a different answer. In this vein, therefore, we can ask: What would a chimera, if it could think, think about? Thinking is used to capture the phenomena of a novel, chimeric being perceiving its terrible predicament as no more than a laboratory experiment. The creation of a thinking chimera therefore forces us to reconsider our assumptions about what makes human beings (potentially) unique (and other sentient animals different), because, as such, a chimera's existence bridges our social and legal expectations about definitions of human and animal. Society has often evolved new social norms based on different kinds of (ir)rational contrivances; the imperative of non-contradiction, which is defended here, therefore requires a specific philosophical response to the rights of a thinking chimeric being.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Capps
- Department of Bioethics, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
An NA, Zhang J, Mo F, Luan X, Tian L, Shen QS, Li X, Li C, Zhou F, Zhang B, Ji M, Qi J, Zhou WZ, Ding W, Chen JY, Yu J, Zhang L, Shu S, Hu B, Li CY. De novo genes with an lncRNA origin encode unique human brain developmental functionality. Nat Ecol Evol 2023; 7:264-278. [PMID: 36593289 PMCID: PMC9911349 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-022-01925-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Human de novo genes can originate from neutral long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) loci and are evolutionarily significant in general, yet how and why this all-or-nothing transition to functionality happens remains unclear. Here, in 74 human/hominoid-specific de novo genes, we identified distinctive U1 elements and RNA splice-related sequences accounting for RNA nuclear export, differentiating mRNAs from lncRNAs, and driving the origin of de novo genes from lncRNA loci. The polymorphic sites facilitating the lncRNA-mRNA conversion through regulating nuclear export are selectively constrained, maintaining a boundary that differentiates mRNAs from lncRNAs. The functional new genes actively passing through it thus showed a mode of pre-adaptive origin, in that they acquire functions along with the achievement of their coding potential. As a proof of concept, we verified the regulations of splicing and U1 recognition on the nuclear export efficiency of one of these genes, the ENSG00000205704, in human neural progenitor cells. Notably, knock-out or over-expression of this gene in human embryonic stem cells accelerates or delays the neuronal maturation of cortical organoids, respectively. The transgenic mice with ectopically expressed ENSG00000205704 showed enlarged brains with cortical expansion. We thus demonstrate the key roles of nuclear export in de novo gene origin. These newly originated genes should reflect the novel uniqueness of human brain development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ni A. An
- grid.11135.370000 0001 2256 9319Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Genomic Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Jie Zhang
- grid.11135.370000 0001 2256 9319Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Genomic Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Fan Mo
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Stem Cell and Regeneration, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China ,grid.410726.60000 0004 1797 8419University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xuke Luan
- grid.11135.370000 0001 2256 9319Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Genomic Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Lu Tian
- grid.11135.370000 0001 2256 9319Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Genomic Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Qing Sunny Shen
- grid.11135.370000 0001 2256 9319Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Genomic Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiangshang Li
- grid.11135.370000 0001 2256 9319Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Genomic Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Chunqiong Li
- grid.510934.a0000 0005 0398 4153Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
| | - Fanqi Zhou
- grid.506261.60000 0001 0706 7839State Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Key Laboratory of RNA Regulation and Hematopoiesis, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine, CAMS and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Boya Zhang
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Stem Cell and Regeneration, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China ,grid.410726.60000 0004 1797 8419University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Mingjun Ji
- grid.11135.370000 0001 2256 9319Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Genomic Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Jianhuan Qi
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Stem Cell and Regeneration, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China ,grid.410726.60000 0004 1797 8419University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wei-Zhen Zhou
- grid.415105.40000 0004 9430 5605State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Wanqiu Ding
- grid.11135.370000 0001 2256 9319Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Genomic Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Jia-Yu Chen
- grid.41156.370000 0001 2314 964XState Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jia Yu
- grid.506261.60000 0001 0706 7839State Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Key Laboratory of RNA Regulation and Hematopoiesis, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine, CAMS and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Li Zhang
- grid.510934.a0000 0005 0398 4153Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
| | - Shaokun Shu
- grid.11135.370000 0001 2256 9319Peking University International Cancer Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Baoyang Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Stem Cell and Regeneration, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. .,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
| | - Chuan-Yun Li
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Genomic Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Peking University, Beijing, China. .,Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China.
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Mangan RJ, Alsina FC, Mosti F, Sotelo-Fonseca JE, Snellings DA, Au EH, Carvalho J, Sathyan L, Johnson GD, Reddy TE, Silver DL, Lowe CB. Adaptive sequence divergence forged new neurodevelopmental enhancers in humans. Cell 2022; 185:4587-4603.e23. [PMID: 36423581 PMCID: PMC10013929 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.10.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Revised: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Searches for the genetic underpinnings of uniquely human traits have focused on human-specific divergence in conserved genomic regions, which reflects adaptive modifications of existing functional elements. However, the study of conserved regions excludes functional elements that descended from previously neutral regions. Here, we demonstrate that the fastest-evolved regions of the human genome, which we term "human ancestor quickly evolved regions" (HAQERs), rapidly diverged in an episodic burst of directional positive selection prior to the human-Neanderthal split, before transitioning to constraint within hominins. HAQERs are enriched for bivalent chromatin states, particularly in gastrointestinal and neurodevelopmental tissues, and genetic variants linked to neurodevelopmental disease. We developed a multiplex, single-cell in vivo enhancer assay to discover that rapid sequence divergence in HAQERs generated hominin-unique enhancers in the developing cerebral cortex. We propose that a lack of pleiotropic constraints and elevated mutation rates poised HAQERs for rapid adaptation and subsequent susceptibility to disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Riley J Mangan
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Fernando C Alsina
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Federica Mosti
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | | | - Daniel A Snellings
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Eric H Au
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Juliana Carvalho
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Laya Sathyan
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Graham D Johnson
- Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27705, USA; Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Timothy E Reddy
- Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27705, USA; Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, 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; Duke Institute for Brain Sciences and Duke Regeneration Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Departments of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Craig B Lowe
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27705, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Zhao J, Feng C, Wang W, Su L, Jiao J. Human SERPINA3 induces neocortical folding and improves cognitive ability in mice. Cell Discov 2022; 8:124. [DOI: 10.1038/s41421-022-00469-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractNeocortex expansion and folding are related to human intelligence and cognition, but the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying cortical folding remain poorly understood. Here, we report that the human gene SERPINA3 is linked to gyrification. Specifically, the overexpression of SERPINA3 induced neocortical folding, increased the abundance of neurons, and improved cognitive abilities. Further, SERPINA3 promoted proliferation of the outer radial glia (oRG, also referred to as the basal radial glia) and increased the number of upper-layer neurons. The downstream target Glo1 was determined to be involved in SERPINA3-induced gyrification. Moreover, SERPINA3 increased the proliferation of oRG by binding to the Glo1 promoter. Assessment of behavior performance showed enhanced cognitive abilities in SERPINA3 knock-in mice. Our findings will enrich the understanding of neocortical expansion and gyrification and provide insights into possible treatments for intellectual disability and lissencephaly syndrome.
Collapse
|
47
|
Linker SB, Narvaiza I, Hsu JY, Wang M, Qiu F, Mendes APD, Oefner R, Kottilil K, Sharma A, Randolph-Moore L, Mejia E, Santos R, Marchetto MC, Gage FH. Human-specific regulation of neural maturation identified by cross-primate transcriptomics. Curr Biol 2022; 32:4797-4807.e5. [PMID: 36228612 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.09.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Revised: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Unique aspects of human behavior are often attributed to differences in the relative size and organization of the human brain: these structural aspects originate during early development. Recent studies indicate that human neurodevelopment is considerably slower than that in other nonhuman primates, a finding that is termed neoteny. One aspect of neoteny is the slow onset of action potentials. However, which molecular mechanisms play a role in this process remain unclear. To examine the evolutionary constraints on the rate of neuronal maturation, we have generated transcriptional data tracking five time points, from the neural progenitor state to 8-week-old neurons, in primates spanning the catarrhine lineage, including Macaca mulatta, Gorilla gorilla, Pan paniscus, Pan troglodytes, and Homo sapiens. Despite finding an overall similarity of many transcriptional signatures, species-specific and clade-specific distinctions were observed. Among the genes that exhibited human-specific regulation, we identified a key pioneer transcription factor, GATA3, that was uniquely upregulated in humans during the neuronal maturation process. We further examined the regulatory nature of GATA3 in human cells and observed that downregulation quickened the speed of developing spontaneous action potentials, thereby modulating the human neotenic phenotype. These results provide evidence for the divergence of gene regulation as a key molecular mechanism underlying human neoteny.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sara B Linker
- Laboratory of Genetics, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Iñigo Narvaiza
- Laboratory of Genetics, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Jonathan Y Hsu
- Laboratory of Genetics, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Meiyan Wang
- Laboratory of Genetics, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Fan Qiu
- Laboratory of Genetics, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Ana P D Mendes
- Laboratory of Genetics, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Ruth Oefner
- Laboratory of Genetics, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Kalyani Kottilil
- Laboratory of Genetics, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Amandeep Sharma
- Laboratory of Genetics, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Lynne Randolph-Moore
- Laboratory of Genetics, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Eunice Mejia
- Laboratory of Genetics, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Renata Santos
- Laboratory of Genetics, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Université Paris Cité, Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Paris (IPNP), INSERM U1266, Laboratory of Dynamics of Neuronal Structure in Health and Disease, 102 rue de la Santé, 75014 Paris, France; Institut des Sciences Biologiques, CNRS, 16 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Maria C Marchetto
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny (CARTA), University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
| | - Fred H Gage
- Laboratory of Genetics, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Fischer J, Fernández Ortuño E, Marsoner F, Artioli A, Peters J, Namba T, Eugster Oegema C, Huttner WB, Ladewig J, Heide M. Human-specific ARHGAP11B ensures human-like basal progenitor levels in hominid cerebral organoids. EMBO Rep 2022; 23:e54728. [PMID: 36098218 PMCID: PMC9646322 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202254728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The human-specific gene ARHGAP11B has been implicated in human neocortex expansion. However, the extent of ARHGAP11B's contribution to this expansion during hominid evolution is unknown. Here we address this issue by genetic manipulation of ARHGAP11B levels and function in chimpanzee and human cerebral organoids. ARHGAP11B expression in chimpanzee cerebral organoids doubles basal progenitor levels, the class of cortical progenitors with a key role in neocortex expansion. Conversely, interference with ARHGAP11B's function in human cerebral organoids decreases basal progenitors down to the chimpanzee level. Moreover, ARHGAP11A or ARHGAP11B rescue experiments in ARHGAP11A plus ARHGAP11B double-knockout human forebrain organoids indicate that lack of ARHGAP11B, but not of ARHGAP11A, decreases the abundance of basal radial glia-the basal progenitor type thought to be of particular relevance for neocortex expansion. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that ARHGAP11B is necessary and sufficient to ensure the elevated basal progenitor levels that characterize the fetal human neocortex, suggesting that this human-specific gene was a major contributor to neocortex expansion during human evolution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jan Fischer
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and GeneticsPfotenhauerstrasse 108DresdenGermany
- Present address:
Institute for Clinical GeneticsUniversity Hospital Carl Gustav CarusDresdenGermany
| | | | - Fabio Marsoner
- Central Institute of Mental HealthUniversity of Heidelberg/Medical Faculty MannheimMannheimGermany
- Hector Institute for Translational Brain Research (HITBR gGmbH)MannheimGermany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)HeidelbergGermany
| | - Annasara Artioli
- Central Institute of Mental HealthUniversity of Heidelberg/Medical Faculty MannheimMannheimGermany
- Hector Institute for Translational Brain Research (HITBR gGmbH)MannheimGermany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)HeidelbergGermany
| | - Jula Peters
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and GeneticsPfotenhauerstrasse 108DresdenGermany
| | - Takashi Namba
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and GeneticsPfotenhauerstrasse 108DresdenGermany
- Present address:
Neuroscience Center, HiLIFE ‐ Helsinki Institute of Life ScienceUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
| | | | - Wieland B. Huttner
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and GeneticsPfotenhauerstrasse 108DresdenGermany
| | - Julia Ladewig
- Central Institute of Mental HealthUniversity of Heidelberg/Medical Faculty MannheimMannheimGermany
- Hector Institute for Translational Brain Research (HITBR gGmbH)MannheimGermany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)HeidelbergGermany
| | - Michael Heide
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and GeneticsPfotenhauerstrasse 108DresdenGermany
- German Primate CenterLeibniz Institute for Primate ResearchGöttingenGermany
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Ding J, Pollen AA. Filling an ARHGAP in our knowledge of human brain evolution. EMBO Rep 2022; 23:e56076. [PMID: 36161459 PMCID: PMC9638863 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202256076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The human cerebral cortex has tripled in size since our divergence from a common ancestor with chimpanzees. This cortical expansion is driven by the increased proliferative capacity of radial glia (RG), a neural progenitor cell (NPC) population that generates cortical neurons. RG along the ventricular zone (VZ) produce neurons and also give rise to basal progenitors (BPs), which migrate to the embryonic subventricular zone (SVZ). Comparative studies suggest that the increased proliferative capacity of human NPCs involves cell-intrinsic mechanisms (Otani et al, 2016), and a number of human-specific genetic changes have recently been linked to NPC proliferation. In particular, overexpression studies in model organisms indicate that the human-specific gene ARHGAP11B is sufficient to increase BP abundance when introduced into the developing brain of non-human model organisms (Florio et al, 2015; Kalebic et al, 2018; Heide et al, 2020). However, studying human-specific mutations in a hominid genetic and developmental context, rather than in more divergent model organisms, could provide further insight into the evolutionary consequences and effect size of human mutations. Fischer et al (2022) now developed a novel organoid electroporation technique to establish the necessity and sufficiency of ARHGAP11B for BP proliferation in cells from humans and our closest living relative, chimpanzees (Fig 1).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jingwen Ding
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell ResearchUniversity of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoCAUSA
- Department of NeurologyUniversity of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoCAUSA
| | - Alex A Pollen
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell ResearchUniversity of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoCAUSA
- Department of NeurologyUniversity of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoCAUSA
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Damianidou E, Mouratidou L, Kyrousi C. Research models of neurodevelopmental disorders: The right model in the right place. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:1031075. [PMID: 36340790 PMCID: PMC9630472 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.1031075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) are a heterogeneous group of impairments that affect the development of the central nervous system leading to abnormal brain function. NDDs affect a great percentage of the population worldwide, imposing a high societal and economic burden and thus, interest in this field has widely grown in recent years. Nevertheless, the complexity of human brain development and function as well as the limitations regarding human tissue usage make their modeling challenging. Animal models play a central role in the investigation of the implicated molecular and cellular mechanisms, however many of them display key differences regarding human phenotype and in many cases, they partially or completely fail to recapitulate them. Although in vitro two-dimensional (2D) human-specific models have been highly used to address some of these limitations, they lack crucial features such as complexity and heterogeneity. In this review, we will discuss the advantages, limitations and future applications of in vivo and in vitro models that are used today to model NDDs. Additionally, we will describe the recent development of 3-dimensional brain (3D) organoids which offer a promising approach as human-specific in vitro models to decipher these complex disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eleni Damianidou
- University Mental Health, Neurosciences and Precision Medicine Research Institute “Costas Stefanis”, Athens, Greece
| | - Lidia Mouratidou
- University Mental Health, Neurosciences and Precision Medicine Research Institute “Costas Stefanis”, Athens, Greece
- First Department of Psychiatry, Medical School, Eginition Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Christina Kyrousi
- University Mental Health, Neurosciences and Precision Medicine Research Institute “Costas Stefanis”, Athens, Greece
- First Department of Psychiatry, Medical School, Eginition Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
- *Correspondence: Christina Kyrousi,
| |
Collapse
|