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Bonfanti L, La Rosa C, Ghibaudi M, Sherwood CC. Adult neurogenesis and "immature" neurons in mammals: an evolutionary trade-off in plasticity? Brain Struct Funct 2024; 229:1775-1793. [PMID: 37833544 PMCID: PMC11485216 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-023-02717-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023]
Abstract
Neuronal plasticity can vary remarkably in its form and degree across animal species. Adult neurogenesis, namely the capacity to produce new neurons from neural stem cells through adulthood, appears widespread in non-mammalian vertebrates, whereas it is reduced in mammals. A growing body of comparative studies also report variation in the occurrence and activity of neural stem cell niches between mammals, with a general trend of reduction from small-brained to large-brained species. Conversely, recent studies have shown that large-brained mammals host large amounts of neurons expressing typical markers of neurogenesis in the absence of cell division. In layer II of the cerebral cortex, populations of prenatally generated, non-dividing neurons continue to express molecules indicative of immaturity throughout life (cortical immature neurons; cINs). After remaining in a dormant state for a very long time, these cINs retain the potential of differentiating into mature neurons that integrate within the preexisting neural circuits. They are restricted to the paleocortex in small-brained rodents, while extending into the widely expanded neocortex of highly gyrencephalic, large-brained species. The current hypothesis is that these populations of non-newly generated "immature" neurons might represent a reservoir of developmentally plastic cells for mammalian species that are characterized by reduced stem cell-driven adult neurogenesis. This indicates that there may be a trade-off between various forms of plasticity that coexist during brain evolution. This balance may be necessary to maintain a "reservoir of plasticity" in brain regions that have distinct roles in species-specific socioecological adaptations, such as the neocortex and olfactory structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Bonfanti
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi, Orbassano, Italy.
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Largo Braccini 2, 10095, Turin, Grugliasco, Italy.
| | - Chiara La Rosa
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi, Orbassano, Italy
| | - Marco Ghibaudi
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi, Orbassano, Italy
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Largo Braccini 2, 10095, Turin, Grugliasco, Italy
| | - Chet C Sherwood
- Department of Anthropology and Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.
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2
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Zhang T, Rosenberg M, Jing Z, Perona P, Meister M. Endotaxis: A neuromorphic algorithm for mapping, goal-learning, navigation, and patrolling. eLife 2024; 12:RP84141. [PMID: 38420996 PMCID: PMC10911395 DOI: 10.7554/elife.84141] [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: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
An animal entering a new environment typically faces three challenges: explore the space for resources, memorize their locations, and navigate towards those targets as needed. Here we propose a neural algorithm that can solve all these problems and operates reliably in diverse and complex environments. At its core, the mechanism makes use of a behavioral module common to all motile animals, namely the ability to follow an odor to its source. We show how the brain can learn to generate internal "virtual odors" that guide the animal to any location of interest. This endotaxis algorithm can be implemented with a simple 3-layer neural circuit using only biologically realistic structures and learning rules. Several neural components of this scheme are found in brains from insects to humans. Nature may have evolved a general mechanism for search and navigation on the ancient backbone of chemotaxis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tony Zhang
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of TechnologyPasadenaUnited States
| | - Matthew Rosenberg
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of TechnologyPasadenaUnited States
- Center for the Physics of Biological Function, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - Zeyu Jing
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of TechnologyPasadenaUnited States
| | - Pietro Perona
- Division of Engineering and Applied Science, California Institute of TechnologyPasadenaUnited States
| | - Markus Meister
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of TechnologyPasadenaUnited States
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3
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Luu P, Tucker DM, Friston K. From active affordance to active inference: vertical integration of cognition in the cerebral cortex through dual subcortical control systems. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhad458. [PMID: 38044461 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
In previous papers, we proposed that the dorsal attention system's top-down control is regulated by the dorsal division of the limbic system, providing a feedforward or impulsive form of control generating expectancies during active inference. In contrast, we proposed that the ventral attention system is regulated by the ventral limbic division, regulating feedback constraints and error-correction for active inference within the neocortical hierarchy. Here, we propose that these forms of cognitive control reflect vertical integration of subcortical arousal control systems that evolved for specific forms of behavior control. The feedforward impetus to action is regulated by phasic arousal, mediated by lemnothalamic projections from the reticular activating system of the lower brainstem, and then elaborated by the hippocampus and dorsal limbic division. In contrast, feedback constraint-based on environmental requirements-is regulated by the tonic activation furnished by collothalamic projections from the midbrain arousal control centers, and then sustained and elaborated by the amygdala, basal ganglia, and ventral limbic division. In an evolutionary-developmental analysis, understanding these differing forms of active affordance-for arousal and motor control within the subcortical vertebrate neuraxis-may help explain the evolution of active inference regulating the cognition of expectancy and error-correction within the mammalian 6-layered neocortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phan Luu
- Brain Electrophysiology Laboratory Company, Riverfront Research Park, 1776 Millrace Dr., Eugene, OR 97403, United States
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, United States
| | - Don M Tucker
- Brain Electrophysiology Laboratory Company, Riverfront Research Park, 1776 Millrace Dr., Eugene, OR 97403, United States
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, United States
| | - Karl Friston
- The Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3AR, United Kingdom
- VERSES AI Research Lab, Los Angeles, CA 90016, USA
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Gribkova ED, Lee CA, Brown JW, Cui J, Liu Y, Norekian T, Gillette R. A common modular design of nervous systems originating in soft-bodied invertebrates. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1263453. [PMID: 37854468 PMCID: PMC10579582 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1263453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Nervous systems of vertebrates and invertebrates show a common modular theme in the flow of information for cost-benefit decisions. Sensory inputs are incentivized by integrating stimulus qualities with motivation and memory to affect appetitive state, a system of homeostatic drives, and labelled for directionality. Appetitive state determines action responses from a repertory of possibles and transmits the decision to a premotor system that frames the selected action in motor arousal and appropriate postural and locomotion commands. These commands are then sent to the primary motor pattern generators controlling the motorneurons, with feedback at each stage. In the vertebrates, these stages are mediated by forebrain pallial derivatives for incentive and directionality (olfactory bulb, cerebral cortex, pallial amygdala, etc.) interacting with hypothalamus (homeostasis, motivation, and reward) for action selection in the forebrain basal ganglia, the mid/hindbrain reticular formation as a premotor translator for posture, locomotion, and arousal state, and the spinal cord and cranial nuclei as primary motor pattern generators. Gastropods, like the predatory sea slug Pleurobranchaea californica, show a similar organization but with differences that suggest how complex brains evolved from an ancestral soft-bodied bilaterian along with segmentation, jointed skeletons, and complex exteroceptors. Their premotor feeding network combines functions of hypothalamus and basal ganglia for homeostasis, motivation, presumed reward, and action selection for stimulus approach or avoidance. In Pleurobranchaea, the premotor analogy to the vertebrate reticular formation is the bilateral "A-cluster" of cerebral ganglion neurons that controls posture, locomotion, and serotonergic motor arousal. The A-cluster transmits motor commands to the pedal ganglia analogs of the spinal cord, for primary patterned motor output. Apparent pallial precursors are not immediately evident in Pleurobranchaea's central nervous system, but a notable candidate is a subepithelial nerve net in the peripheral head region that integrates chemotactile stimuli for incentive and directionality. Evolutionary centralization of its computational functions may have led to the olfaction-derived pallial forebrain in the ancestor's vertebrate descendants and their analogs in arthropods and annelids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ekaterina D. Gribkova
- Coordinated Science Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Colin A. Lee
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Jeffrey W. Brown
- Stanson Toshok Center for Brain Function and Repair, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Jilai Cui
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Yichen Liu
- Department of Molecular & Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Tigran Norekian
- Whitney Laboratory for Marine Biosciences, University of Florida, St. Augustine, FL, United States
| | - Rhanor Gillette
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
- Department of Molecular & Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
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Casanova EL. Ancient roots: A Cambrian explosion of autism susceptibility genes. Autism Res 2023; 16:1480-1487. [PMID: 37421164 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023]
Abstract
Functional gene groups often share unique evolutionary patterns. The present study addresses whether autism susceptibility genes, which frequently share functional overlap, display unusual gene age and conservation patterns compared to other gene groups. Using phylostratigraphically-derived and other genetic data, the investigator explores average gene age, Ohnolog status, evolutionary rate, variation intolerance, and numbers of protein-protein (PPI) interactions across autism susceptibility, nervous system, developmental regulatory, immune, housekeeping, and luxury gene groups. Autism susceptibility genes are unusually old compared to controls, many genes having radiated in the Cambrian period in early vertebrates from whole genome duplication events. They are also tightly conserved across the animal kingdom, are highly variation intolerant, and have more PPI than other genes-all features suggesting extreme dosage sensitivity. The results of the current study indicate that autism susceptibility genes display unique radiation and conservation patterns, which may be a reflection of the major transitions in nervous system evolution that were occurring in early animals and which are still foundational in brain development today.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily L Casanova
- Department of Psychology, Loyola University, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
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Whitfield JF, Rennie K, Chakravarthy B. Alzheimer's Disease and Its Possible Evolutionary Origin: Hypothesis. Cells 2023; 12:1618. [PMID: 37371088 PMCID: PMC10297544 DOI: 10.3390/cells12121618] [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: 04/01/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The enormous, 2-3-million-year evolutionary expansion of hominin neocortices to the current enormity enabled humans to take over the planet. However, there appears to have been a glitch, and it occurred without a compensatory expansion of the entorhinal cortical (EC) gateway to the hippocampal memory-encoding system needed to manage the processing of the increasing volume of neocortical data converging on it. The resulting age-dependent connectopathic glitch was unnoticed by the early short-lived populations. It has now surfaced as Alzheimer's disease (AD) in today's long-lived populations. With advancing age, processing of the converging neocortical data by the neurons of the relatively small lateral entorhinal cortex (LEC) inflicts persistent strain and high energy costs on these cells. This may result in their hyper-release of harmless Aβ1-42 monomers into the interstitial fluid, where they seed the formation of toxic amyloid-β oligomers (AβOs) that initiate AD. At the core of connectopathic AD are the postsynaptic cellular prion protein (PrPC). Electrostatic binding of the negatively charged AβOs to the positively charged N-terminus of PrPC induces hyperphosphorylation of tau that destroys synapses. The spread of these accumulating AβOs from ground zero is supported by Aβ's own production mediated by target cells' Ca2+-sensing receptors (CaSRs). These data suggest that an early administration of a strongly positively charged, AβOs-interacting peptide or protein, plus an inhibitor of CaSR, might be an effective AD-arresting therapeutic combination.
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Affiliation(s)
- James F. Whitfield
- Human Health Therapeutics, National Research Council, Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6, Canada
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Lautenschlager S, Fagan MJ, Luo ZX, Bird CM, Gill P, Rayfield EJ. Functional reorganisation of the cranial skeleton during the cynodont-mammaliaform transition. Commun Biol 2023; 6:367. [PMID: 37046052 PMCID: PMC10097706 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04742-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Skeletal simplification occurred in multiple vertebrate clades over the last 500 million years, including the evolution from premammalian cynodonts to mammals. This transition is characterised by the loss and reduction of cranial bones, the emergence of a novel jaw joint, and the rearrangement of the jaw musculature. These modifications have long been hypothesised to increase skull strength and efficiency during feeding. Here, we combine digital reconstruction and biomechanical modelling to show that there is no evidence for an increase in cranial strength and biomechanical performance. Our analyses demonstrate the selective functional reorganisation of the cranial skeleton, leading to reduced stresses in the braincase and the skull roof but increased stresses in the zygomatic region through this transition. This cranial functional reorganisation, reduction in mechanical advantage, and overall miniaturisation in body size are linked with a dietary specialisation to insectivory, permitting the subsequent morphological and ecological diversification of the mammalian lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan Lautenschlager
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
| | | | - Zhe-Xi Luo
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, USA
| | - Charlotte M Bird
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Pamela Gill
- Earth Sciences Department, The Natural History Museum, London, UK
- Bristol Palaeobiology Group, School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Emily J Rayfield
- Bristol Palaeobiology Group, School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
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Spatial Olfactory Memory and Spatial Olfactory Navigation, Assessed with a Variant of Corsi Test, Is Modulated by Gender and Sporty Activity. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12081108. [PMID: 36009170 PMCID: PMC9406228 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12081108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2022] [Revised: 08/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Many studies have focused on navigation, spatial skills, and the olfactory system in comparative models, including those concerning the relationship between them and physical activity. Although the results are often in contrast with each other, it is assumed that physical activity can affect cognition in different ways—both indirectly and through a certain influence on some brain structures. In contrast, there is little research that focuses on the relationship between spatial abilities and olfactory abilities in humans. This research aimed to evaluate and compare the performance in working memory tasks of athletes and non-athletes who require good visual–spatial navigation, olfactory–spatial navigation, and olfactory–semantic skills. The study involved 236 participants (83 athletes) between the ages of 18 and 40. All subjects were matched by age or sex. The standard Corsi Block Tapping Test (CBTT) was administrated to investigate the visual-spatial memory. Olfactory–spatial navigation and olfactory–semantic skills were assessed with two modified versions of CBTT: Olfactory CBTT (OCBTT) and Semantic–Olfactory CBTT (SOCBTT) respectively. The results show differences between the CORSI conditions in direction of a poor performance for athletes. A gender effect in favor of men was also found, particularly in the classic version of the CBTT. Both groups performed better in the classic version of the CBTT than OCBTT and SOCBTT. The mean of SOCBTT results is markedly lower, perhaps due to the different information processing systems needed to perform this kind of task. It is possible to explain how sports practice can affect tasks that require spatial skills and olfactory perception differently, thus supporting new hypotheses and opening new scientific horizons.
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Rial RV, Canellas F, Akaârir M, Rubiño JA, Barceló P, Martín A, Gamundí A, Nicolau MC. The Birth of the Mammalian Sleep. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11050734. [PMID: 35625462 PMCID: PMC9138988 DOI: 10.3390/biology11050734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Mammals evolved from reptiles as a consequence of an evolutionary bottleneck. Some diurnal reptiles extended their activity, first to twilight and then to the entire dark time. This forced the change of the visual system. Pursuing maximal sensitivity, they abandoned the filters protecting the eyes against the dangerous diurnal light, which, in turn, forced immobility in lightproof burrows during light time. This was the birth of the mammalian sleep. Then, the Cretacic-Paleogene extinction of dinosaurs leaved free the diurnal niche and allowed the expansion of a few early mammals to diurnal life and the high variability of sleep traits. On the other hand, we propose that the idling rest is a state showing homeostatic regulation. Therefore, the difference between behavioral rest and wakeful idling is rather low: both show quiescence, raised sensory thresholds, reversibility, specific sleeping-resting sites and body positions, it is a pleasing state, and both are dependent of circadian and homeostatic regulation. Indeed, the most important difference is the unconsciousness of sleep and the consciousness of wakeful idling. Thus, we propose that sleep is a mere upgrade of the wakeful rest, and both may have the same function: guaranteeing rest during a part of the daily cycle. Abstract Mammals evolved from small-sized reptiles that developed endothermic metabolism. This allowed filling the nocturnal niche. They traded-off visual acuity for sensitivity but became defenseless against the dangerous daylight. To avoid such danger, they rested with closed eyes in lightproof burrows during light-time. This was the birth of the mammalian sleep, the main finding of this report. Improved audition and olfaction counterweighed the visual impairments and facilitated the cortical development. This process is called “The Nocturnal Evolutionary Bottleneck”. Pre-mammals were nocturnal until the Cretacic-Paleogene extinction of dinosaurs. Some early mammals returned to diurnal activity, and this allowed the high variability in sleeping patterns observed today. The traits of Waking Idleness are almost identical to those of behavioral sleep, including homeostatic regulation. This is another important finding of this report. In summary, behavioral sleep seems to be an upgrade of Waking Idleness Indeed, the trait that never fails to show is quiescence. We conclude that the main function of sleep consists in guaranteeing it during a part of the daily cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rubén V. Rial
- Laboratori de Neurofisiologia del Son i dels Ritmes Biològics, Grup de Recerca Neurofisiologia del Son i Ritmes Biològics, Department of Biologia, Universitat de les Illes Balears, Ctra Valldemossa, km 7.5, 07122 Palma de Mallorca, Illes Balears, Spain; (F.C.); (M.A.); (J.A.R.); (P.B.); (A.M.); (A.G.); (M.C.N.)
- IdISBa, Institut d’Investigació Sanitària de les Illes Balears, Hospital Son Espases, 07120 Palma de Mallorca, Illes Balears, Spain
- IUNICS, Institut Universitari d’Investigació en Ciències de la Salut, Hospital Universitary Son Espases, 07120 Palma de Mallorca, Illes Balears, Spain
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-971-173-147; Fax: +34-971-173-184
| | - Francesca Canellas
- Laboratori de Neurofisiologia del Son i dels Ritmes Biològics, Grup de Recerca Neurofisiologia del Son i Ritmes Biològics, Department of Biologia, Universitat de les Illes Balears, Ctra Valldemossa, km 7.5, 07122 Palma de Mallorca, Illes Balears, Spain; (F.C.); (M.A.); (J.A.R.); (P.B.); (A.M.); (A.G.); (M.C.N.)
- IdISBa, Institut d’Investigació Sanitària de les Illes Balears, Hospital Son Espases, 07120 Palma de Mallorca, Illes Balears, Spain
- IUNICS, Institut Universitari d’Investigació en Ciències de la Salut, Hospital Universitary Son Espases, 07120 Palma de Mallorca, Illes Balears, Spain
| | - Mourad Akaârir
- Laboratori de Neurofisiologia del Son i dels Ritmes Biològics, Grup de Recerca Neurofisiologia del Son i Ritmes Biològics, Department of Biologia, Universitat de les Illes Balears, Ctra Valldemossa, km 7.5, 07122 Palma de Mallorca, Illes Balears, Spain; (F.C.); (M.A.); (J.A.R.); (P.B.); (A.M.); (A.G.); (M.C.N.)
- IdISBa, Institut d’Investigació Sanitària de les Illes Balears, Hospital Son Espases, 07120 Palma de Mallorca, Illes Balears, Spain
- IUNICS, Institut Universitari d’Investigació en Ciències de la Salut, Hospital Universitary Son Espases, 07120 Palma de Mallorca, Illes Balears, Spain
| | - José A. Rubiño
- Laboratori de Neurofisiologia del Son i dels Ritmes Biològics, Grup de Recerca Neurofisiologia del Son i Ritmes Biològics, Department of Biologia, Universitat de les Illes Balears, Ctra Valldemossa, km 7.5, 07122 Palma de Mallorca, Illes Balears, Spain; (F.C.); (M.A.); (J.A.R.); (P.B.); (A.M.); (A.G.); (M.C.N.)
- IdISBa, Institut d’Investigació Sanitària de les Illes Balears, Hospital Son Espases, 07120 Palma de Mallorca, Illes Balears, Spain
- IUNICS, Institut Universitari d’Investigació en Ciències de la Salut, Hospital Universitary Son Espases, 07120 Palma de Mallorca, Illes Balears, Spain
| | - Pere Barceló
- Laboratori de Neurofisiologia del Son i dels Ritmes Biològics, Grup de Recerca Neurofisiologia del Son i Ritmes Biològics, Department of Biologia, Universitat de les Illes Balears, Ctra Valldemossa, km 7.5, 07122 Palma de Mallorca, Illes Balears, Spain; (F.C.); (M.A.); (J.A.R.); (P.B.); (A.M.); (A.G.); (M.C.N.)
- IdISBa, Institut d’Investigació Sanitària de les Illes Balears, Hospital Son Espases, 07120 Palma de Mallorca, Illes Balears, Spain
- IUNICS, Institut Universitari d’Investigació en Ciències de la Salut, Hospital Universitary Son Espases, 07120 Palma de Mallorca, Illes Balears, Spain
| | - Aida Martín
- Laboratori de Neurofisiologia del Son i dels Ritmes Biològics, Grup de Recerca Neurofisiologia del Son i Ritmes Biològics, Department of Biologia, Universitat de les Illes Balears, Ctra Valldemossa, km 7.5, 07122 Palma de Mallorca, Illes Balears, Spain; (F.C.); (M.A.); (J.A.R.); (P.B.); (A.M.); (A.G.); (M.C.N.)
- IdISBa, Institut d’Investigació Sanitària de les Illes Balears, Hospital Son Espases, 07120 Palma de Mallorca, Illes Balears, Spain
- IUNICS, Institut Universitari d’Investigació en Ciències de la Salut, Hospital Universitary Son Espases, 07120 Palma de Mallorca, Illes Balears, Spain
| | - Antoni Gamundí
- Laboratori de Neurofisiologia del Son i dels Ritmes Biològics, Grup de Recerca Neurofisiologia del Son i Ritmes Biològics, Department of Biologia, Universitat de les Illes Balears, Ctra Valldemossa, km 7.5, 07122 Palma de Mallorca, Illes Balears, Spain; (F.C.); (M.A.); (J.A.R.); (P.B.); (A.M.); (A.G.); (M.C.N.)
- IdISBa, Institut d’Investigació Sanitària de les Illes Balears, Hospital Son Espases, 07120 Palma de Mallorca, Illes Balears, Spain
- IUNICS, Institut Universitari d’Investigació en Ciències de la Salut, Hospital Universitary Son Espases, 07120 Palma de Mallorca, Illes Balears, Spain
| | - M. Cristina Nicolau
- Laboratori de Neurofisiologia del Son i dels Ritmes Biològics, Grup de Recerca Neurofisiologia del Son i Ritmes Biològics, Department of Biologia, Universitat de les Illes Balears, Ctra Valldemossa, km 7.5, 07122 Palma de Mallorca, Illes Balears, Spain; (F.C.); (M.A.); (J.A.R.); (P.B.); (A.M.); (A.G.); (M.C.N.)
- IdISBa, Institut d’Investigació Sanitària de les Illes Balears, Hospital Son Espases, 07120 Palma de Mallorca, Illes Balears, Spain
- IUNICS, Institut Universitari d’Investigació en Ciències de la Salut, Hospital Universitary Son Espases, 07120 Palma de Mallorca, Illes Balears, Spain
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Benedetti B, Couillard-Despres S. Why Would the Brain Need Dormant Neuronal Precursors? Front Neurosci 2022; 16:877167. [PMID: 35464307 PMCID: PMC9026174 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.877167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Dormant non-proliferative neuronal precursors (dormant precursors) are a unique type of undifferentiated neuron, found in the adult brain of several mammalian species, including humans. Dormant precursors are fundamentally different from canonical neurogenic-niche progenitors as they are generated exquisitely during the embryonic development and maintain a state of protracted postmitotic immaturity lasting up to several decades after birth. Thus, dormant precursors are not pluripotent progenitors, but to all effects extremely immature neurons. Recently, transgenic models allowed to reveal that with age virtually all dormant precursors progressively awaken, abandon the immature state, and become fully functional neurons. Despite the limited common awareness about these cells, the deep implications of recent discoveries will likely lead to revisit our understanding of the adult brain. Thus, it is timely to revisit and critically assess the essential evidences that help pondering on the possible role(s) of these cells in relation to cognition, aging, and pathology. By highlighting pivoting findings as well as controversies and open questions, we offer an exciting perspective over the field of research that studies these mysterious cells and suggest the next steps toward the answer of a crucial question: why does the brain need dormant neuronal precursors?
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Benedetti
- Institute of Experimental Neuroregeneration, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
- Spinal Cord Injury and Tissue Regeneration Center Salzburg, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
- Austrian Cluster for Tissue Regeneration, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sebastien Couillard-Despres
- Institute of Experimental Neuroregeneration, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
- Spinal Cord Injury and Tissue Regeneration Center Salzburg, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
- Austrian Cluster for Tissue Regeneration, Vienna, Austria
- *Correspondence: Sebastien Couillard-Despres,
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Cisek P. Evolution of behavioural control from chordates to primates. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20200522. [PMID: 34957850 PMCID: PMC8710891 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
This article outlines a hypothetical sequence of evolutionary innovations, along the lineage that produced humans, which extended behavioural control from simple feedback loops to sophisticated control of diverse species-typical actions. I begin with basic feedback mechanisms of ancient mobile animals and follow the major niche transitions from aquatic to terrestrial life, the retreat into nocturnality in early mammals, the transition to arboreal life and the return to diurnality. Along the way, I propose a sequence of elaboration and diversification of the behavioural repertoire and associated neuroanatomical substrates. This includes midbrain control of approach versus escape actions, telencephalic control of local versus long-range foraging, detection of affordances by the dorsal pallium, diversified control of nocturnal foraging in the mammalian neocortex and expansion of primate frontal, temporal and parietal cortex to support a wide variety of primate-specific behavioural strategies. The result is a proposed functional architecture consisting of parallel control systems, each dedicated to specifying the affordances for guiding particular species-typical actions, which compete against each other through a hierarchy of selection mechanisms. This article is part of the theme issue 'Systems neuroscience through the lens of evolutionary theory'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Cisek
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Montreal CP 6123 Succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, Québec, Canada H3C 3J7
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12
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Fischler-Ruiz W, Clark DG, Joshi N, Devi-Chou V, Kitch L, Schnitzer M, Abbott LF, Axel R. Olfactory landmarks and path integration converge to form a cognitive spatial map. Neuron 2021; 109:4036-4049.e5. [PMID: 34710366 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.09.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Revised: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The convergence of internal path integration and external sensory landmarks generates a cognitive spatial map in the hippocampus. We studied how localized odor cues are recognized as landmarks by recording the activity of neurons in CA1 during a virtual navigation task. We found that odor cues enriched place cell representations, dramatically improving navigation. Presentation of the same odor at different locations generated distinct place cell representations. An odor cue at a proximal location enhanced the local place cell density and also led to the formation of place cells beyond the cue. This resulted in the recognition of a second, more distal odor cue as a distinct landmark, suggesting an iterative mechanism for extending spatial representations into unknown territory. Our results establish that odors can serve as landmarks, motivating a model in which path integration and odor landmarks interact sequentially and iteratively to generate cognitive spatial maps over long distances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Walter Fischler-Ruiz
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain and Behavior Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027 USA
| | - David G Clark
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain and Behavior Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027 USA
| | - Narendra Joshi
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain and Behavior Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027 USA
| | - Virginia Devi-Chou
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain and Behavior Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027 USA
| | - Lacey Kitch
- James H. Clark Center for Biomedical Engineering & Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305 USA; CNC Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305 USA
| | - Mark Schnitzer
- James H. Clark Center for Biomedical Engineering & Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305 USA; CNC Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305 USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305 USA
| | - L F Abbott
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain and Behavior Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027 USA; Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032 USA.
| | - Richard Axel
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain and Behavior Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027 USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032 USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027 USA.
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13
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Jiménez S, Moreno N. Analysis of the Expression Pattern of Cajal-Retzius Cell Markers in the Xenopus laevis Forebrain. BRAIN, BEHAVIOR AND EVOLUTION 2021; 96:263-282. [PMID: 34614492 DOI: 10.1159/000519025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Cajal-Retzius cells are essential for cortical development in mammals, and their involvement in the evolution of this structure has been widely postulated, but very little is known about their progenitor domains in non-mammalian vertebrates. Using in situhybridization and immunofluorescence techniques we analyzed the expression of some of the main Cajal-Retzius cell markers such as Dbx1, Ebf3, ER81, Lhx1, Lhx5, p73, Reelin, Wnt3a, Zic1, and Zic2 in the forebrain of the anuran Xenopus laevis, because amphibians are the only class of anamniote tetrapods and show a tetrapartite evaginated pallium, but no layered or nuclear organization. Our results suggested that the Cajal-Retzius cell progenitor domains were comparable to those previously described in amniotes. Thus, at dorsomedial telencephalic portions a region comparable to the cortical hem was defined in Xenopus based on the expression of Wnt3a, p73, Reelin, Zic1, and Zic2. In the septum, two different domains were observed: a periventricular dorsal septum, at the limit between the pallium and the subpallium, expressing Reelin, Zic1, and Zic2, and a related septal domain, expressing Ebf3, Zic1, and Zic2. In the lateral telencephalon, the ventral pallium next to the pallio-subpallial boundary, the lack of Dbx1 and the unique expression of Reelin during development defined this territory as the most divergent with respect to mammals. Finally, we also analyzed the expression of these markers at the prethalamic eminence region, suggested as Cajal-Retzius progenitor domain in amniotes, observing there Zic1, Zic2, ER81, and Lhx1 expression. Our data show that in anurans there are different subtypes and progenitor domains of Cajal-Retzius cells, which probably contribute to the cortical regional specification and territory-specific properties. This supports the notion that the basic organization of pallial derivatives in vertebrates follows a comparable fundamental arrangement, even in those that do not have a sophisticated stratified cortical structure like the mammalian cerebral cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Jiménez
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, University Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | - Nerea Moreno
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, University Complutense, Madrid, Spain
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14
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Radvansky BA, Oh JY, Climer JR, Dombeck DA. Behavior determines the hippocampal spatial mapping of a multisensory environment. Cell Rep 2021; 36:109444. [PMID: 34293330 PMCID: PMC8382043 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Revised: 03/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals behave in multisensory environments guided by various modalities of spatial information. Mammalian navigation engages a cognitive map of space in the hippocampus. Yet it is unknown whether and how this map incorporates multiple modalities of spatial information. Here, we establish two behavioral tasks in which mice navigate the same multisensory virtual environment by either pursuing a visual landmark or tracking an odor gradient. These tasks engage different proportions of visuo-spatial and olfacto-spatial mapping CA1 neurons and different population-level representations of each sensory-spatial coordinate. Switching between tasks results in global remapping. In a third task, mice pursue a target of varying sensory modality, and this engages modality-invariant neurons mapping the abstract behaviorally relevant coordinate irrespective of its physical modality. These findings demonstrate that the hippocampus does not necessarily map space as one coherent physical variable but as a combination of sensory and abstract reference frames determined by the subject's behavioral goal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brad A Radvansky
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Jun Young Oh
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Jason R Climer
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Daniel A Dombeck
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.
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15
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Guzmán-Ruiz MA, Herrera-González A, Jiménez A, Candelas-Juárez A, Quiroga-Lozano C, Castillo-Díaz C, Orta-Salazar E, Organista-Juárez D, Díaz-Cintra S, Guevara-Guzmán R. Protective effects of intracerebroventricular adiponectin against olfactory impairments in an amyloid β 1-42 rat model. BMC Neurosci 2021; 22:14. [PMID: 33653273 PMCID: PMC7927416 DOI: 10.1186/s12868-021-00620-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2020] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by cognitive impairment that eventually develops into dementia. Amyloid-beta (Aβ) accumulation is a widely described hallmark in AD, and has been reported to cause olfactory dysfunction, a condition considered an early marker of the disease associated with injuries in the olfactory bulb (OB), the hippocampus (HIPP) and other odor-related cortexes. Adiponectin (APN) is an adipokine with neuroprotective effects. Studies have demonstrated that APN administration decreases Aβ neurotoxicity and Tau hyperphosphorylation in the HIPP, reducing cognitive impairment. However, there are no studies regarding the neuroprotective effects of APN in the olfactory dysfunction observed in the Aβ rat model. The aim of the present study is to determine whether the intracerebroventricular (i.c.v) administration of APN prevents the early olfactory dysfunction in an i.c.v Amyloid-beta1-42 (Aβ1-42) rat model. Hence, we evaluated olfactory function by using a battery of olfactory tests aimed to assess olfactory memory, discrimination and detection in the Aβ rat model treated with APN. In addition, we determined the number of cells expressing the neuronal nuclei (NeuN), as well as the number of microglial cells by using the ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1 (Iba-1) marker in the OB and, CA1, CA3, hilus and dentate gyrus (DG) in the HIPP. Finally, we determined Arginase-1 expression in both nuclei through Western blot. RESULTS We observed that the i.c.v injection of Aβ decreased olfactory function, which was prevented by the i.c.v administration of APN. In accordance with the olfactory impairment observed in i.c.v Aβ-treated rats, we observed a decrease in NeuN expressing cells in the glomerular layer of the OB, which was also prevented with the i.c.v APN. Furthermore, we observed an increase of Iba-1 cells in CA1, and DG in the HIPP of the Aβ rats, which was prevented by the APN treatment. CONCLUSION The present study describes the olfactory impairment of Aβ treated rats and evidences the protective role that APN plays in the brain, by preventing the olfactory impairment induced by Aβ1-42. These results may lead to APN-based pharmacological therapies aimed to ameliorate AD neurotoxic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mara A Guzmán-Ruiz
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Amor Herrera-González
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Adriana Jiménez
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Alan Candelas-Juárez
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Crystal Quiroga-Lozano
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Claudia Castillo-Díaz
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Erika Orta-Salazar
- Departamento de Neurobiología del desarrollo y neurofisiología, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Querétaro, Mexico
| | - Diana Organista-Juárez
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Sofía Díaz-Cintra
- Departamento de Neurobiología del desarrollo y neurofisiología, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Querétaro, Mexico
| | - Rosalinda Guevara-Guzmán
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico.
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16
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Waymel A, Friedrich P, Bastian PA, Forkel SJ, Thiebaut de Schotten M. Anchoring the human olfactory system within a functional gradient. Neuroimage 2020; 216:116863. [PMID: 32325207 PMCID: PMC7116082 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.116863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2019] [Revised: 04/10/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Margulies et al. (2016) demonstrated the existence of at least five independent functional connectivity gradients in the human brain. However, it is unclear how these functional gradients might link to anatomy. The dual origin theory proposes that differences in cortical cytoarchitecture originate from two trends of progressive differentiation between the different layers of the cortex, referred to as the hippocampocentric and olfactocentric systems. When conceptualising the functional connectivity gradients within the evolutionary framework of the Dual Origin theory, the first gradient likely represents the hippocampocentric system anatomically. Here we expand on this concept and demonstrate that the fifth gradient likely links to the olfactocentric system. We describe the anatomy of the latter as well as the evidence to support this hypothesis. Together, the first and fifth gradients might help to model the Dual Origin theory of the human brain and inform brain models and pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Waymel
- Brain Connectivity and Behaviour Laboratory, Sorbonne Universities, Paris, France; Groupe d'Imagerie Neurofonctionnelle, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives-UMR 5293, CNRS, CEA University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France; Hyperedge Instruments, France
| | - Patrick Friedrich
- Brain Connectivity and Behaviour Laboratory, Sorbonne Universities, Paris, France; Groupe d'Imagerie Neurofonctionnelle, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives-UMR 5293, CNRS, CEA University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Pierre-Antoine Bastian
- Brain Connectivity and Behaviour Laboratory, Sorbonne Universities, Paris, France; Hyperedge Instruments, France
| | - Stephanie J Forkel
- Brain Connectivity and Behaviour Laboratory, Sorbonne Universities, Paris, France; Groupe d'Imagerie Neurofonctionnelle, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives-UMR 5293, CNRS, CEA University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France; King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neurosciences, Department of Neuroimaging, London, UK
| | - Michel Thiebaut de Schotten
- Brain Connectivity and Behaviour Laboratory, Sorbonne Universities, Paris, France; Groupe d'Imagerie Neurofonctionnelle, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives-UMR 5293, CNRS, CEA University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France.
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17
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La Rosa C, Cavallo F, Pecora A, Chincarini M, Ala U, Faulkes CG, Nacher J, Cozzi B, Sherwood CC, Amrein I, Bonfanti L. Phylogenetic variation in cortical layer II immature neuron reservoir of mammals. eLife 2020; 9:55456. [PMID: 32690132 PMCID: PMC7373429 DOI: 10.7554/elife.55456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The adult mammalian brain is mainly composed of mature neurons. A limited amount of stem cell-driven neurogenesis persists in postnatal life and is reduced in large-brained species. Another source of immature neurons in adult brains is cortical layer II. These cortical immature neurons (cINs) retain developmentally undifferentiated states in adulthood, though they are generated before birth. Here, the occurrence, distribution and cellular features of cINs were systematically studied in 12 diverse mammalian species spanning from small-lissencephalic to large-gyrencephalic brains. In spite of well-preserved morphological and molecular features, the distribution of cINs was highly heterogeneous, particularly in neocortex. While virtually absent in rodents, they are present in the entire neocortex of many other species and their linear density in cortical layer II generally increased with brain size. These findings suggest an evolutionary developmental mechanism for plasticity that varies among mammalian species, granting a reservoir of young cells for the cerebral cortex. To acquire new skills or recover after injuries, the mammalian brain relies on plasticity, the ability for the brain to change its architecture and its connections during the lifetime of an animal. Creating new nerve cells is one way to achieve plasticity, but this process is rarer in humans than it is in mammals with smaller brains. In particular, it is absent in the human cortex: this region is enlarged in species with large brains, where it carries out complex tasks such as learning and memory. Producing new cells in the cortex would threaten the stability of the structures that retain long-term memories. Another route to plasticity is to reshape the connections between existing, mature nerve cells. This process takes place in the human brain during childhood and adolescence, as some connections are strengthened and others pruned away. An alternative mechanism relies on keeping some nerve cells in an immature, ‘adolescent’ state. When needed, these nerve cells emerge from their state of arrested development and ‘grow up’, connecting with the appropriate brain circuits. This mechanism does not involve producing new nerve cells, and so it would be suitable to maintain plasticity in the cortex. Consistent with this idea, in mice some dormant nerve cells are present in a small, primitive part of the cortex. La Rosa et al. therefore wanted to determine if the location and number of immature cells in the cortex differed between mammals, and if so, whether these differences depended on brain size. The study spanned 12 mammal species, from small-brained species like mice to larger-brained animals including sheep and non-human primates. Microscopy imaging was used to identify immature nerve cells in brain samples, which revealed that the cortex in larger-brained species contained more adolescent cells than its mouse counterpart. The difference was greatest in a region called the neocortex, which has evolved most recently. This area is most pronounced in primates – especially humans – where it carries out high-level cognitive tasks. These results identify immature nerve cells as a potential mechanism for plasticity in the cortex. La Rosa et al. hope that the work will inspire searches for similar reservoirs of young cells in humans, which could perhaps lead to new treatments for brain disorders like dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara La Rosa
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO), Orbassano, Italy.,Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Torino, Italy
| | - Francesca Cavallo
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO), Orbassano, Italy
| | - Alessandra Pecora
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO), Orbassano, Italy
| | - Matteo Chincarini
- Università degli Studi di Teramo, Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria, Teramo, Italy
| | - Ugo Ala
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Torino, Italy
| | - Chris G Faulkes
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Juan Nacher
- Neurobiology Unit, BIOTECMED, Universitat de València, and Spanish Network for Mental Health Research CIBERSAM, València, Spain
| | - Bruno Cozzi
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, Legnaro, Italy
| | - Chet C Sherwood
- Department of Anthropology and Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington DC, United States
| | - Irmgard Amrein
- D-HEST, ETH, Zurich, Switzerland.,Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Luca Bonfanti
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO), Orbassano, Italy.,Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Torino, Italy
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18
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Cárdenas A, Borrell V. Molecular and cellular evolution of corticogenesis in amniotes. Cell Mol Life Sci 2020; 77:1435-1460. [PMID: 31563997 PMCID: PMC11104948 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-019-03315-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2019] [Revised: 09/03/2019] [Accepted: 09/19/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The cerebral cortex varies dramatically in size and complexity between amniotes due to differences in neuron number and composition. These differences emerge during embryonic development as a result of variations in neurogenesis, which are thought to recapitulate modifications occurred during evolution that culminated in the human neocortex. Here, we review work from the last few decades leading to our current understanding of the evolution of neurogenesis and size of the cerebral cortex. Focused on specific examples across vertebrate and amniote phylogeny, we discuss developmental mechanisms regulating the emergence, lineage, complexification and fate of cortical germinal layers and progenitor cell types. At the cellular level, we discuss the fundamental impact of basal progenitor cells and the advent of indirect neurogenesis on the increased number and diversity of cortical neurons and layers in mammals, and on cortex folding. Finally, we discuss recent work that unveils genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying this progressive expansion and increased complexity of the amniote cerebral cortex during evolution, with a particular focus on those leading to human-specific features. Whereas new genes important in human brain development emerged the recent hominid lineage, regulation of the patterns and levels of activity of highly conserved signaling pathways are beginning to emerge as mechanisms of central importance in the evolutionary increase in cortical size and complexity across amniotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrián Cárdenas
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas y Universidad Miguel Hernández, 03550, Sant Joan d'Alacant, Alicante, Spain
| | - Víctor Borrell
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas y Universidad Miguel Hernández, 03550, Sant Joan d'Alacant, Alicante, Spain.
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19
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Knudsen EI. Evolution of neural processing for visual perception in vertebrates. J Comp Neurol 2020; 528:2888-2901. [PMID: 32003466 PMCID: PMC7586818 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Revised: 01/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Visual perception requires both visual information and attention. This review compares, across classes of vertebrates, the functional and anatomical characteristics of (a) the neural pathways that process visual information about objects, and (b) stimulus selection pathways that determine the objects to which an animal attends. Early in the evolution of vertebrate species, visual perception was dominated by information transmitted via the midbrain (retinotectal) visual pathway, and attention was probably controlled primarily by a selection network in the midbrain. In contrast, in primates, visual perception is dominated by information transmitted via the forebrain (retinogeniculate) visual pathway, and attention is mediated largely by networks in the forebrain. In birds and nonprimate mammals, both the retinotectal and retinogeniculate pathways contribute critically to visual information processing, and both midbrain and forebrain networks play important roles in controlling attention. The computations and processing strategies in birds and mammals share some strikingly similar characteristics despite over 300 million years of independent evolution and being implemented by distinct brain architectures. The similarity of these functional characteristics suggests that they provide valuable advantages to visual perception in advanced visual systems. A schema is proposed that describes the evolution of the pathways and computations that enable visual perception in vertebrate species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric I Knudsen
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California
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20
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Abstract
In this article, we challenge the usefulness of "attention" as a unitary construct and/or neural system. We point out that the concept has too many meanings to justify a single term, and that "attention" is used to refer to both the explanandum (the set of phenomena in need of explanation) and the explanans (the set of processes doing the explaining). To illustrate these points, we focus our discussion on visual selective attention. It is argued that selectivity in processing has emerged through evolution as a design feature of a complex multi-channel sensorimotor system, which generates selective phenomena of "attention" as one of many by-products. Instead of the traditional analytic approach to attention, we suggest a synthetic approach that starts with well-understood mechanisms that do not need to be dedicated to attention, and yet account for the selectivity phenomena under investigation. We conclude that what would serve scientific progress best would be to drop the term "attention" as a label for a specific functional or neural system and instead focus on behaviorally relevant selection processes and the many systems that implement them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernhard Hommel
- Institute of Psychology, Cognitive Psychology Unit and Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Craig S Chapman
- Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Paul Cisek
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Heather F Neyedli
- School of Health and Human Performance, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Joo-Hyun Song
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Timothy N Welsh
- Centre for Motor Control, Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, University of Toronto, 55 Harbord Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 2W6, Canada.
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21
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Goulas A, Margulies DS, Bezgin G, Hilgetag CC. The architecture of mammalian cortical connectomes in light of the theory of the dual origin of the cerebral cortex. Cortex 2019; 118:244-261. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2019.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2018] [Revised: 01/04/2019] [Accepted: 03/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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22
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Shepherd GM, Marenco L, Hines ML, Migliore M, McDougal RA, Carnevale NT, Newton AJH, Surles-Zeigler M, Ascoli GA. Neuron Names: A Gene- and Property-Based Name Format, With Special Reference to Cortical Neurons. Front Neuroanat 2019; 13:25. [PMID: 30949034 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2019.00025/full] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2018] [Accepted: 02/07/2019] [Indexed: 05/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Precision in neuron names is increasingly needed. We are entering a new era in which classical anatomical criteria are only the beginning toward defining the identity of a neuron as carried in its name. New criteria include patterns of gene expression, membrane properties of channels and receptors, pharmacology of neurotransmitters and neuropeptides, physiological properties of impulse firing, and state-dependent variations in expression of characteristic genes and proteins. These gene and functional properties are increasingly defining neuron types and subtypes. Clarity will therefore be enhanced by conveying as much as possible the genes and properties in the neuron name. Using a tested format of parent-child relations for the region and subregion for naming a neuron, we show how the format can be extended so that these additional properties can become an explicit part of a neuron's identity and name, or archived in a linked properties database. Based on the mouse, examples are provided for neurons in several brain regions as proof of principle, with extension to the complexities of neuron names in the cerebral cortex. The format has dual advantages, of ensuring order in archiving the hundreds of neuron types across all brain regions, as well as facilitating investigation of a given neuron type or given gene or property in the context of all its properties. In particular, we show how the format is extensible to the variety of neuron types and subtypes being revealed by RNA-seq and optogenetics. As current research reveals increasingly complex properties, the proposed approach can facilitate a consensus that goes beyond traditional neuron types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gordon M Shepherd
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- Yale Center for Medical Informatics, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Luis Marenco
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- Yale Center for Medical Informatics, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Michael L Hines
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Michele Migliore
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- Institute of Biophysics, National Research Council, Palermo, Italy
| | - Robert A McDougal
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- Yale Center for Medical Informatics, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Nicholas T Carnevale
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Adam J H Newton
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY, United States
| | - Monique Surles-Zeigler
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- Yale Center for Medical Informatics, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Giorgio A Ascoli
- Bioengineering Department and Center for Neural Informatics, Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, United States
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23
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Shepherd GM, Marenco L, Hines ML, Migliore M, McDougal RA, Carnevale NT, Newton AJH, Surles-Zeigler M, Ascoli GA. Neuron Names: A Gene- and Property-Based Name Format, With Special Reference to Cortical Neurons. Front Neuroanat 2019; 13:25. [PMID: 30949034 PMCID: PMC6437103 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2019.00025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2018] [Accepted: 02/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Precision in neuron names is increasingly needed. We are entering a new era in which classical anatomical criteria are only the beginning toward defining the identity of a neuron as carried in its name. New criteria include patterns of gene expression, membrane properties of channels and receptors, pharmacology of neurotransmitters and neuropeptides, physiological properties of impulse firing, and state-dependent variations in expression of characteristic genes and proteins. These gene and functional properties are increasingly defining neuron types and subtypes. Clarity will therefore be enhanced by conveying as much as possible the genes and properties in the neuron name. Using a tested format of parent-child relations for the region and subregion for naming a neuron, we show how the format can be extended so that these additional properties can become an explicit part of a neuron's identity and name, or archived in a linked properties database. Based on the mouse, examples are provided for neurons in several brain regions as proof of principle, with extension to the complexities of neuron names in the cerebral cortex. The format has dual advantages, of ensuring order in archiving the hundreds of neuron types across all brain regions, as well as facilitating investigation of a given neuron type or given gene or property in the context of all its properties. In particular, we show how the format is extensible to the variety of neuron types and subtypes being revealed by RNA-seq and optogenetics. As current research reveals increasingly complex properties, the proposed approach can facilitate a consensus that goes beyond traditional neuron types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gordon M. Shepherd
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- Yale Center for Medical Informatics, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Luis Marenco
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- Yale Center for Medical Informatics, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Michael L. Hines
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Michele Migliore
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- Institute of Biophysics, National Research Council, Palermo, Italy
| | - Robert A. McDougal
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- Yale Center for Medical Informatics, New Haven, CT, United States
| | | | - Adam J. H. Newton
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY, United States
| | - Monique Surles-Zeigler
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- Yale Center for Medical Informatics, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Giorgio A. Ascoli
- Bioengineering Department and Center for Neural Informatics, Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, United States
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24
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Bonfanti L, Amrein I. Editorial: Adult Neurogenesis: Beyond Rats and Mice. Front Neurosci 2018; 12:904. [PMID: 30564088 PMCID: PMC6288481 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2018] [Accepted: 11/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Luca Bonfanti
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi, Orbassano, Italy.,Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Torino, Italy
| | - Irmgard Amrein
- Division of Functional Neuroanatomy, Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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25
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Imam A, Bhagwandin A, Ajao MS, Spocter MA, Ihunwo AO, Manger PR. The brain of the tree pangolin (Manis tricuspis
). II. The olfactory system. J Comp Neurol 2018; 526:2548-2569. [DOI: 10.1002/cne.24510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2018] [Revised: 07/27/2018] [Accepted: 07/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Aminu Imam
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand; School of Anatomical Sciences; Republic of South Africa
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences; College of Health Sciences, University of Ilorin; Ilorin Nigeria
| | - Adhil Bhagwandin
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand; School of Anatomical Sciences; Republic of South Africa
| | - Moyosore S. Ajao
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences; College of Health Sciences, University of Ilorin; Ilorin Nigeria
| | - Muhammed A. Spocter
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand; School of Anatomical Sciences; Republic of South Africa
- Department of Anatomy; Des Moines University; Iowa
| | - Amadi O. Ihunwo
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand; School of Anatomical Sciences; Republic of South Africa
| | - Paul R. Manger
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand; School of Anatomical Sciences; Republic of South Africa
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26
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An intrinsic association between olfactory identification and spatial memory in humans. Nat Commun 2018; 9:4162. [PMID: 30327469 PMCID: PMC6191417 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-06569-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2018] [Accepted: 09/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
It was recently proposed that olfaction evolved to aid navigation. Consistent with this hypothesis, olfactory identification and spatial memory are linked to overlapping brain areas which include the orbitofrontal cortex and hippocampus. However, the relationship between these two processes has never been specifically investigated. Here, we show that olfactory identification covaries with spatial memory in humans. We also found that the cortical thickness of the left medial orbitofrontal cortex, and the volume of the right hippocampus, predict both olfactory identification and spatial memory. Finally, we demonstrate deficits in both olfactory identification and spatial memory in patients with lesions of the medial orbitofrontal cortex. Our findings reveal an intrinsic relationship between olfaction and spatial memory that is supported by a shared reliance on the hippocampus and medial orbitofrontal cortex. This relationship may find its roots in the parallel evolution of the olfactory and hippocampal systems. Olfaction, the sense of smell, may have originally evolved to aid navigation in space, but there is no direct evidence of a link between olfaction and navigation in humans. Here the authors show that olfaction and spatial memory abilities are correlated and rely on similar brain regions in humans.
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27
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Knudsen EI. Neural Circuits That Mediate Selective Attention: A Comparative Perspective. Trends Neurosci 2018; 41:789-805. [PMID: 30075867 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2018.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2018] [Revised: 05/31/2018] [Accepted: 06/14/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Selective attention is central to cognition. Dramatic advances have been made in understanding the neural circuits that mediate selective attention. Forebrain networks, most elaborated in primates, control all forms of attention based on task demands and the physical salience of stimuli. These networks contain circuits that distribute top-down signals to sensory processing areas and enhance information processing in those areas. A midbrain network, most elaborated in birds, controls spatial attention. It contains circuits that continuously compute the highest priority stimulus location and route sensory information from the selected location to forebrain networks that make cognitive decisions. The identification of these circuits, their functions and mechanisms represent a major advance in our understanding of how the vertebrate brain mediates selective attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric I Knudsen
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5125, USA.
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28
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Parolisi R, Cozzi B, Bonfanti L. Humans and Dolphins: Decline and Fall of Adult Neurogenesis. Front Neurosci 2018; 12:497. [PMID: 30079011 PMCID: PMC6062615 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2018] [Accepted: 07/02/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Pre-clinical research is carried out on animal models, mostly laboratory rodents, with the ultimate aim of translating the acquired knowledge to humans. In the last decades, adult neurogenesis (AN) has been intensively studied since it is viewed as a tool for fostering brain plasticity, possibly repair. Yet, occurrence, location, and rate of AN vary among mammals: the capability for constitutive neuronal production is substantially reduced when comparing small-brained, short living (laboratory rodents) and large-brained, long-living species (humans, dolphins). Several difficulties concerning scarce availability of fresh tissues, technical limits and ethical concerns did contribute in delaying and diverting the achievement of the picture of neurogenic plasticity in large-brained mammals. Some reports appeared in the last few years, starting to shed more light on this issue. Despite technical limits, data from recent studies mostly converge to indicate that neurogenesis is vestigial, or possibly absent, in regions of the adult human brain where in rodents neuronal addition continues into adult life. Analyses carried out in dolphins, mammals devoid of olfaction, but descendant of ancestors provided with olfaction, has shown disappearance of neurogenesis in both neonatal and adult individuals. Heterogeneity in mammalian structural plasticity remains largely underestimated by scientists focusing their research in rodents. Comparative studies are the key to understand the function of AN and the possible translational significance of neuronal replacement in humans. Here, we summarize comparative studies on AN and discuss the evolutionary implications of variations on the recruitment of new neurons in different regions and different species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Parolisi
- NICO - Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi, Turin, Italy
| | - Bruno Cozzi
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Luca Bonfanti
- NICO - Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi, Turin, Italy.,Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
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29
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Abstract
All motile organisms use spatially distributed chemical features of their surroundings to guide their behaviors, but the neural mechanisms underlying such behaviors in mammals have been difficult to study, largely due to the technical challenges of controlling chemical concentrations in space and time during behavioral experiments. To overcome these challenges, we introduce a system to control and maintain an olfactory virtual landscape. This system uses rapid flow controllers and an online predictive algorithm to deliver precise odorant distributions to head-fixed mice as they explore a virtual environment. We establish an odor-guided virtual navigation behavior that engages hippocampal CA1 "place cells" that exhibit similar properties to those previously reported for real and visual virtual environments, demonstrating that navigation based on different sensory modalities recruits a similar cognitive map. This method opens new possibilities for studying the neural mechanisms of olfactory-driven behaviors, multisensory integration, innate valence, and low-dimensional sensory-spatial processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brad A Radvansky
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Daniel A Dombeck
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA.
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30
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Fournier J, Müller CM, Schneider I, Laurent G. Spatial Information in a Non-retinotopic Visual Cortex. Neuron 2018; 97:164-180.e7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2017.11.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2017] [Revised: 08/25/2017] [Accepted: 11/10/2017] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
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31
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Shepherd GM, Rowe TB. Neocortical Lamination: Insights from Neuron Types and Evolutionary Precursors. Front Neuroanat 2017; 11:100. [PMID: 29163073 PMCID: PMC5673976 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2017.00100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2017] [Accepted: 10/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The neocortex is characterized by lamination of its neuron cell bodies in six layers, but there are few clues as to how this comes about and what is its function. Recent studies provide evidence that evolution from simple three-layer cortex may give insight into this problem. Three-layer cortex arose in the olfactory, hippocampal and dorsal cortex of the early amniote forebrain based on a cortical module of excitatory and inhibitory inputs to an intratelencephalic (IT) type of pyramidal neuron with feedback excitation and inhibition and related interneurons. We summarize recent evidence suggesting the hypothesis that the developmental program of three-layer olfactory cortex was co-opted to form six-layer mammalian neocortex, elaborating IT cortical units in layers 2-6 while adding layer 4 stellate cells, layer 5B pyramidal tract (PT) cells and layer 6 corticothalamic (CT) cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gordon M Shepherd
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Timothy B Rowe
- Jackson School of Geosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
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32
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Suárez R, Paolino A, Kozulin P, Fenlon LR, Morcom LR, Englebright R, O’Hara PJ, Murray PJ, Richards LJ. Development of body, head and brain features in the Australian fat-tailed dunnart (Sminthopsis crassicaudata; Marsupialia: Dasyuridae); A postnatal model of forebrain formation. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0184450. [PMID: 28880940 PMCID: PMC5589244 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0184450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2017] [Accepted: 08/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Most of our understanding of forebrain development comes from research of eutherian mammals, such as rodents, primates, and carnivores. However, as the cerebral cortex forms largely prenatally, observation and manipulation of its development has required invasive and/or ex vivo procedures. Marsupials, on the other hand, are born at comparatively earlier stages of development and most events of forebrain formation occur once attached to the teat, thereby permitting continuous and non-invasive experimental access. Here, we take advantage of this aspect of marsupial biology to establish and characterise a resourceful laboratory model of forebrain development: the fat-tailed dunnart (Sminthopsis crassicaudata), a mouse-sized carnivorous Australian marsupial. We present an anatomical description of the postnatal development of the body, head and brain in dunnarts, and provide a staging system compatible with human and mouse developmental stages. As compared to eutherians, the orofacial region develops earlier in dunnarts, while forebrain development is largely protracted, extending for more than 40 days versus ca. 15 days in mice. We discuss the benefits of fat-tailed dunnarts as laboratory animals in studies of developmental biology, with an emphasis on how their accessibility in the pouch can help address new experimental questions, especially regarding mechanisms of brain development and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Suárez
- The University of Queensland, Queensland Brain Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- * E-mail: (RS); (LJR)
| | - Annalisa Paolino
- The University of Queensland, Queensland Brain Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Peter Kozulin
- The University of Queensland, Queensland Brain Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Laura R. Fenlon
- The University of Queensland, Queensland Brain Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Laura R. Morcom
- The University of Queensland, Queensland Brain Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Robert Englebright
- The University of Queensland, School of Agriculture & Food Science, Gatton, Queensland, Australia
| | - Patricia J. O’Hara
- The University of Queensland, School of Agriculture & Food Science, Gatton, Queensland, Australia
| | - Peter J. Murray
- The University of Queensland, School of Agriculture & Food Science, Gatton, Queensland, Australia
| | - Linda J. Richards
- The University of Queensland, Queensland Brain Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- The University of Queensland, School of Biomedical Sciences, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- * E-mail: (RS); (LJR)
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33
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Joven A, Wang H, Pinheiro T, Hameed LS, Belnoue L, Simon A. Cellular basis of brain maturation and acquisition of complex behaviors in salamanders. Development 2017; 145:dev.160051. [DOI: 10.1242/dev.160051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2017] [Accepted: 11/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The overall bauplan of the tetrapod brain is highly conserved, yet significant variations exist among species in terms of brain size, structural composition and cellular diversity. Understanding processes underlying neural and behavioral development in a wide range of species is important both from an evolutionary developmental perspective as well as for the identification of cell sources with post-developmental neurogenic potential. Here we characterize germinal processes in the brain of Notophthalmus viridescens and Pleurodeles waltl during both development and adulthood. Using a combination of cell tracking tools, including clonal analyses in new transgenic salamander lines we examine the origin of neural stem and progenitor cells found in the adult brain, determine regional variability in cell cycle length of progenitor cells, and show spatio-temporally orchestrated neurogenesis. We analyze how maturation of different brain regions and neuronal subpopulations are linked to the acquisition of complex behaviors, and how these behaviors are altered upon chemical ablation of dopamine neurons. Our data analyzed from an evolutionary perspective reveal both common and species-specific processes in tetrapod brain formation and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Joven
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Heng Wang
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Tiago Pinheiro
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - L. Shahul Hameed
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Laure Belnoue
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - András Simon
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
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34
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Marcellini S, González F, Sarrazin AF, Pabón-Mora N, Benítez M, Piñeyro-Nelson A, Rezende GL, Maldonado E, Schneider PN, Grizante MB, Da Fonseca RN, Vergara-Silva F, Suaza-Gaviria V, Zumajo-Cardona C, Zattara EE, Casasa S, Suárez-Baron H, Brown FD. Evolutionary Developmental Biology (Evo-Devo) Research in Latin America. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART B-MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION 2016; 328:5-40. [PMID: 27491339 DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.22687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2016] [Revised: 06/16/2016] [Accepted: 06/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Famous for its blind cavefish and Darwin's finches, Latin America is home to some of the richest biodiversity hotspots of our planet. The Latin American fauna and flora inspired and captivated naturalists from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, including such notable pioneers such as Fritz Müller, Florentino Ameghino, and Léon Croizat who made a significant contribution to the study of embryology and evolutionary thinking. But, what are the historical and present contributions of the Latin American scientific community to Evo-Devo? Here, we provide the first comprehensive overview of the Evo-Devo laboratories based in Latin America and describe current lines of research based on endemic species, focusing on body plans and patterning, systematics, physiology, computational modeling approaches, ecology, and domestication. Literature searches reveal that Evo-Devo in Latin America is still in its early days; while showing encouraging indicators of productivity, it has not stabilized yet, because it relies on few and sparsely distributed laboratories. Coping with the rapid changes in national scientific policies and contributing to solve social and health issues specific to each region are among the main challenges faced by Latin American researchers. The 2015 inaugural meeting of the Pan-American Society for Evolutionary Developmental Biology played a pivotal role in bringing together Latin American researchers eager to initiate and consolidate regional and worldwide collaborative networks. Such networks will undoubtedly advance research on the extremely high genetic and phenotypic biodiversity of Latin America, bound to be an almost infinite source of amazement and fascinating findings for the Evo-Devo community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvain Marcellini
- Laboratorio de Desarrollo y Evolución, Departamento de Biología Celular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Favio González
- Facultad de Ciencias, Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Andres F Sarrazin
- Instituto de Química, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | | | - Mariana Benítez
- Laboratorio Nacional de Ciencias de la Sostenibilidad, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Alma Piñeyro-Nelson
- Departamento de Producción Agrícola y Animal, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Xochimilco, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Gustavo L Rezende
- Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense, CBB, LQFPP, Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brazil
| | - Ernesto Maldonado
- EvoDevo Lab, Unidad de Sistemas Arrecifales, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, México
| | | | | | - Rodrigo Nunes Da Fonseca
- Núcleo em Ecologia e Desenvolvimento SócioAmbiental de Macaé (NUPEM), Campus Macaé, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Macae, RJ, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | | - Sofia Casasa
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | | | - Federico D Brown
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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