1
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Iwata R, Vanderhaeghen P. Metabolic mechanisms of species-specific developmental tempo. Dev Cell 2024:S1534-5807(24)00361-7. [PMID: 38906137 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2024.05.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Revised: 04/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/23/2024]
Abstract
Development consists of a highly ordered suite of steps and transitions, like choreography. Although these sequences are often evolutionarily conserved, they can display species variations in duration and speed, thereby modifying final organ size or function. Despite their evolutionary significance, the mechanisms underlying species-specific scaling of developmental tempo have remained unclear. Here, we will review recent findings that implicate global cellular mechanisms, particularly intermediary and protein metabolism, as species-specific modifiers of developmental tempo. In various systems, from somitic cell oscillations to neuronal development, metabolic pathways display species differences. These have been linked to mitochondrial metabolism, which can influence the species-specific speed of developmental transitions. Thus, intermediary metabolic pathways regulate developmental tempo together with other global processes, including proteostasis and chromatin remodeling. By linking metabolism and the evolution of developmental trajectories, these findings provide opportunities to decipher how species-specific cellular timing can influence organism fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryohei Iwata
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute, KUL, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Pierre Vanderhaeghen
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute, KUL, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
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2
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Lindhout FW, Krienen FM, Pollard KS, Lancaster MA. A molecular and cellular perspective on human brain evolution and tempo. Nature 2024; 630:596-608. [PMID: 38898293 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07521-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
The evolution of the modern human brain was accompanied by distinct molecular and cellular specializations, which underpin our diverse cognitive abilities but also increase our susceptibility to neurological diseases. These features, some specific to humans and others shared with related species, manifest during different stages of brain development. In this multi-stage process, neural stem cells proliferate to produce a large and diverse progenitor pool, giving rise to excitatory or inhibitory neurons that integrate into circuits during further maturation. This process unfolds over varying time scales across species and has progressively become slower in the human lineage, with differences in tempo correlating with differences in brain size, cell number and diversity, and connectivity. Here we introduce the terms 'bradychrony' and 'tachycrony' to describe slowed and accelerated developmental tempos, respectively. We review how recent technical advances across disciplines, including advanced engineering of in vitro models, functional comparative genetics and high-throughput single-cell profiling, are leading to a deeper understanding of how specializations of the human brain arise during bradychronic neurodevelopment. Emerging insights point to a central role for genetics, gene-regulatory networks, cellular innovations and developmental tempo, which together contribute to the establishment of human specializations during various stages of neurodevelopment and at different points in evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feline W Lindhout
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Fenna M Krienen
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Katherine S Pollard
- Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Institute for Computational Health Sciences, and Institute for Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Madeline A Lancaster
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK.
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3
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Xing L, Gkini V, Nieminen AI, Zhou HC, Aquilino M, Naumann R, Reppe K, Tanaka K, Carmeliet P, Heikinheimo O, Pääbo S, Huttner WB, Namba T. Functional synergy of a human-specific and an ape-specific metabolic regulator in human neocortex development. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3468. [PMID: 38658571 PMCID: PMC11043075 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47437-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Metabolism has recently emerged as a major target of genes implicated in the evolutionary expansion of human neocortex. One such gene is the human-specific gene ARHGAP11B. During human neocortex development, ARHGAP11B increases the abundance of basal radial glia, key progenitors for neocortex expansion, by stimulating glutaminolysis (glutamine-to-glutamate-to-alpha-ketoglutarate) in mitochondria. Here we show that the ape-specific protein GLUD2 (glutamate dehydrogenase 2), which also operates in mitochondria and converts glutamate-to-αKG, enhances ARHGAP11B's ability to increase basal radial glia abundance. ARHGAP11B + GLUD2 double-transgenic bRG show increased production of aspartate, a metabolite essential for cell proliferation, from glutamate via alpha-ketoglutarate and the TCA cycle. Hence, during human evolution, a human-specific gene exploited the existence of another gene that emerged during ape evolution, to increase, via concerted changes in metabolism, progenitor abundance and neocortex size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Xing
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany.
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada.
| | - Vasiliki Gkini
- Neuroscience Center, HiLIFE - Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Anni I Nieminen
- FIMM Metabolomics Unit, Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Hui-Chao Zhou
- Center for Cancer Biology (CCB), VIB-KU Leuven, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Matilde Aquilino
- Neuroscience Center, HiLIFE - Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ronald Naumann
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | - Katrin Reppe
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | - Kohichi Tanaka
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Peter Carmeliet
- Laboratory of Angiogenesis and Vascular Metabolism, Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
- Laboratory of Angiogenesis and Vascular Metabolism, Center for Cancer Biology, VIB, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
- Center for Biotechnology, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Oskari Heikinheimo
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Svante Pääbo
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Human Evolutionary Genomics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Okinawa, Onna-son, Japan
| | - Wieland B Huttner
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany.
| | - Takashi Namba
- Neuroscience Center, HiLIFE - Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
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4
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Luppi AI, Rosas FE, Noonan MP, Mediano PAM, Kringelbach ML, Carhart-Harris RL, Stamatakis EA, Vernon AC, Turkheimer FE. Oxygen and the Spark of Human Brain Evolution: Complex Interactions of Metabolism and Cortical Expansion across Development and Evolution. Neuroscientist 2024; 30:173-198. [PMID: 36476177 DOI: 10.1177/10738584221138032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Scientific theories on the functioning and dysfunction of the human brain require an understanding of its development-before and after birth and through maturation to adulthood-and its evolution. Here we bring together several accounts of human brain evolution by focusing on the central role of oxygen and brain metabolism. We argue that evolutionary expansion of human transmodal association cortices exceeded the capacity of oxygen delivery by the vascular system, which led these brain tissues to rely on nonoxidative glycolysis for additional energy supply. We draw a link between the resulting lower oxygen tension and its effect on cytoarchitecture, which we posit as a key driver of genetic developmental programs for the human brain-favoring lower intracortical myelination and the presence of biosynthetic materials for synapse turnover. Across biological and temporal scales, this protracted capacity for neural plasticity sets the conditions for cognitive flexibility and ongoing learning, supporting complex group dynamics and intergenerational learning that in turn enabled improved nutrition to fuel the metabolic costs of further cortical expansion. Our proposed model delineates explicit mechanistic links among metabolism, molecular and cellular brain heterogeneity, and behavior, which may lead toward a clearer understanding of brain development and its disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea I Luppi
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences and Division of Anaesthesia, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- The Alan Turing Institute, London, UK
| | - Fernando E Rosas
- Department of Informatics, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
- Centre for Psychedelic Research, Department of Brain Science, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Centre for Complexity Science, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Centre for Eudaimonia and Human Flourishing, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - MaryAnn P Noonan
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Pedro A M Mediano
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Psychology, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
- Department of Computing, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Morten L Kringelbach
- Centre for Eudaimonia and Human Flourishing, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Center for Music in the Brain, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Robin L Carhart-Harris
- Psychedelics Division-Neuroscape, Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Emmanuel A Stamatakis
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences and Division of Anaesthesia, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Anthony C Vernon
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Federico E Turkheimer
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
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5
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Cubillos P, Ditzer N, Kolodziejczyk A, Schwenk G, Hoffmann J, Schütze TM, Derihaci RP, Birdir C, Köllner JE, Petzold A, Sarov M, Martin U, Long KR, Wimberger P, Albert M. The growth factor EPIREGULIN promotes basal progenitor cell proliferation in the developing neocortex. EMBO J 2024; 43:1388-1419. [PMID: 38514807 PMCID: PMC11021537 DOI: 10.1038/s44318-024-00068-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Neocortex expansion during evolution is linked to higher numbers of neurons, which are thought to result from increased proliferative capacity and neurogenic potential of basal progenitor cells during development. Here, we show that EREG, encoding the growth factor EPIREGULIN, is expressed in the human developing neocortex and in gorilla cerebral organoids, but not in the mouse neocortex. Addition of EPIREGULIN to the mouse neocortex increases proliferation of basal progenitor cells, whereas EREG ablation in human cortical organoids reduces proliferation in the subventricular zone. Treatment of cortical organoids with EPIREGULIN promotes a further increase in proliferation of gorilla but not of human basal progenitor cells. EPIREGULIN competes with the epidermal growth factor (EGF) to promote proliferation, and inhibition of the EGF receptor abrogates the EPIREGULIN-mediated increase in basal progenitor cells. Finally, we identify putative cis-regulatory elements that may contribute to the observed inter-species differences in EREG expression. Our findings suggest that species-specific regulation of EPIREGULIN expression may contribute to the increased neocortex size of primates by providing a tunable pro-proliferative signal to basal progenitor cells in the subventricular zone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Cubillos
- Center for Regenerative Therapies TU Dresden, TUD Dresden University of Technology, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Nora Ditzer
- Center for Regenerative Therapies TU Dresden, TUD Dresden University of Technology, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Annika Kolodziejczyk
- Center for Regenerative Therapies TU Dresden, TUD Dresden University of Technology, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Gustav Schwenk
- Center for Regenerative Therapies TU Dresden, TUD Dresden University of Technology, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Janine Hoffmann
- Center for Regenerative Therapies TU Dresden, TUD Dresden University of Technology, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Theresa M Schütze
- Center for Regenerative Therapies TU Dresden, TUD Dresden University of Technology, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Razvan P Derihaci
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, TU Dresden, 01307, Dresden, Germany
- National Center for Tumor Diseases, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Cahit Birdir
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, TU Dresden, 01307, Dresden, Germany
- Center for feto/neonatal Health, TU Dresden, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Johannes Em Köllner
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Andreas Petzold
- DRESDEN-concept Genome Center, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, TUD Dresden University of Technology, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Mihail Sarov
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Ulrich Martin
- Leibniz Research Laboratories for Biotechnology and Artificial Organs, Department of Cardiothoracic, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery, Hannover Medical School, 30625, Hannover, Germany
- REBIRTH-Cluster of Excellence, Hannover, Germany
| | - Katherine R Long
- Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE1 1UL, United Kingdom
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, SE1 1UL, United Kingdom
| | - Pauline Wimberger
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, TU Dresden, 01307, Dresden, Germany
- National Center for Tumor Diseases, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Mareike Albert
- Center for Regenerative Therapies TU Dresden, TUD Dresden University of Technology, 01307, Dresden, Germany.
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6
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Ihnatovych I, Saddler RA, Sule N, Szigeti K. Translational implications of CHRFAM7A, an elusive human-restricted fusion gene. Mol Psychiatry 2024; 29:1020-1032. [PMID: 38200291 PMCID: PMC11176066 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02389-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Genes restricted to humans may contribute to human-specific traits and provide a different context for diseases. CHRFAM7A is a uniquely human fusion gene and a negative regulator of the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7 nAChR). The α7 nAChR has been a promising target for diseases affecting cognition and higher cortical functions, however, the treatment effect observed in animal models failed to translate into human clinical trials. As CHRFAM7A was not accounted for in preclinical drug screens it may have contributed to the translational gap. Understanding the complex genetic architecture of the locus, deciphering the functional impact of CHRFAM7A on α7 nAChR neurobiology and utilizing human-relevant models may offer novel approaches to explore α7 nAChR as a drug target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivanna Ihnatovych
- Department of Neurology, State University of New York at Buffalo, 875 Ellicott St., Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA
| | - Ruth-Ann Saddler
- Department of Neurology, State University of New York at Buffalo, 875 Ellicott St., Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA
| | - Norbert Sule
- Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, 665 Elm St, Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA
| | - Kinga Szigeti
- Department of Neurology, State University of New York at Buffalo, 875 Ellicott St., Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA.
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7
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Kawasaki H. Investigation of the mechanisms underlying the development and evolution of folds of the cerebrum using gyrencephalic ferrets. J Comp Neurol 2024; 532:e25615. [PMID: 38587214 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
The mammalian cerebrum has changed substantially during evolution, characterized by increases in neurons and glial cells and by the expansion and folding of the cerebrum. While these evolutionary alterations are thought to be crucial for acquiring higher cognitive functions, the molecular mechanisms underlying the development and evolution of the mammalian cerebrum remain only partially understood. This is, in part, because of the difficulty in analyzing these mechanisms using mice only. To overcome this limitation, genetic manipulation techniques for the cerebrum of gyrencephalic carnivore ferrets have been developed. Furthermore, successful gene knockout in the ferret cerebrum has been accomplished through the application of the CRISPR/Cas9 system. This review mainly highlights recent research conducted using gyrencephalic carnivore ferrets to investigate the mechanisms underlying the development and evolution of cortical folds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Kawasaki
- Department of Medical Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
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8
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Liu X, Xiao C, Xu X, Zhang J, Mo F, Chen JY, Delihas N, Zhang L, An NA, Li CY. Origin of functional de novo genes in humans from "hopeful monsters". WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. RNA 2024; 15:e1845. [PMID: 38605485 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
For a long time, it was believed that new genes arise only from modifications of preexisting genes, but the discovery of de novo protein-coding genes that originated from noncoding DNA regions demonstrates the existence of a "motherless" origination process for new genes. However, the features, distributions, expression profiles, and origin modes of these genes in humans seem to support the notion that their origin is not a purely "motherless" process; rather, these genes arise preferentially from genomic regions encoding preexisting precursors with gene-like features. In such a case, the gene loci are typically not brand new. In this short review, we will summarize the definition and features of human de novo genes and clarify their process of origination from ancestral non-coding genomic regions. In addition, we define the favored precursors, or "hopeful monsters," for the origin of de novo genes and present a discussion of the functional significance of these young genes in brain development and tumorigenesis in humans. This article is categorized under: RNA Evolution and Genomics > RNA and Ribonucleoprotein Evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoge Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Genomic Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Chunfu Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Genomic Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Xinwei Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Genomic Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Jie Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Genomic Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Fan Mo
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Stem Cell and Regeneration, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jia-Yu Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Nicholas Delihas
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - Li Zhang
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
| | - Ni A An
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Genomic Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Chuan-Yun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Genomic Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
- Southwest United Graduate School, Kunming, China
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9
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Dehay C, Huttner WB. Development and evolution of the primate neocortex from a progenitor cell perspective. Development 2024; 151:dev199797. [PMID: 38369736 DOI: 10.1242/dev.199797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
The generation of neurons in the developing neocortex is a major determinant of neocortex size. Crucially, the increase in cortical neuron numbers in the primate lineage, notably in the upper-layer neurons, contributes to increased cognitive abilities. Here, we review major evolutionary changes affecting the apical progenitors in the ventricular zone and focus on the key germinal zone constituting the foundation of neocortical neurogenesis in primates, the outer subventricular zone (OSVZ). We summarize characteristic features of the OSVZ and its key stem cell type, the basal (or outer) radial glia. Next, we concentrate on primate-specific and human-specific genes, expressed in OSVZ-progenitors, the ability of which to amplify these progenitors by targeting the regulation of the cell cycle ultimately underlies the evolutionary increase in upper-layer neurons. Finally, we address likely differences in neocortical development between present-day humans and Neanderthals that are based on human-specific amino acid substitutions in proteins operating in cortical progenitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colette Dehay
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Inserm, Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute U1208, F-69500 Bron, France
| | - Wieland B Huttner
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Pfotenhauerstrasse 108, 01307 Dresden, Germany
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10
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Huttner WB, Heide M, Mora-Bermúdez F, Namba T. Neocortical neurogenesis in development and evolution-Human-specific features. J Comp Neurol 2024; 532:e25576. [PMID: 38189676 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
In this review, we focus on human-specific features of neocortical neurogenesis in development and evolution. Two distinct topics will be addressed. In the first section, we discuss the expansion of the neocortex during human evolution and concentrate on the human-specific gene ARHGAP11B. We review the ability of ARHGAP11B to amplify basal progenitors and to expand a primate neocortex. We discuss the contribution of ARHGAP11B to neocortex expansion during human evolution and its potential implications for neurodevelopmental disorders and brain tumors. We then review the action of ARHGAP11B in mitochondria as a regulator of basal progenitor metabolism, and how it promotes glutaminolysis and basal progenitor proliferation. Finally, we discuss the increase in cognitive performance due to the ARHGAP11B-induced neocortical expansion. In the second section, we focus on neocortical development in modern humans versus Neanderthals. Specifically, we discuss two recent findings pointing to differences in neocortical neurogenesis between these two hominins that are due to a small number of amino acid substitutions in certain key proteins. One set of such proteins are the kinetochore-associated proteins KIF18a and KNL1, where three modern human-specific amino acid substitutions underlie the prolongation of metaphase during apical progenitor mitosis. This prolongation in turn is associated with an increased fidelity of chromosome segregation to the apical progenitor progeny during modern human neocortical development, with implications for the proper formation of radial units. Another such key protein is transketolase-like 1 (TKTL1), where a single modern human-specific amino acid substitution endows TKTL1 with the ability to amplify basal radial glia, resulting in an increase in upper-layer neuron generation. TKTL1's ability is based on its action in the pentose phosphate pathway, resulting in increased fatty acid synthesis. The data imply greater neurogenesis during neocortical development in modern humans than Neanderthals due to TKTL1, in particular in the developing frontal lobe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wieland B Huttner
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | - Michael Heide
- German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
| | | | - Takashi Namba
- Neuroscience Center, HiLIFE - Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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11
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Li W, Chen R, Feng L, Dang X, Liu J, Chen T, Yang J, Su X, Lv L, Li T, Zhang Z, Luo XJ. Genome-wide meta-analysis, functional genomics and integrative analyses implicate new risk genes and therapeutic targets for anxiety disorders. Nat Hum Behav 2024; 8:361-379. [PMID: 37945807 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-023-01746-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent mental disorders. However, the genetic etiology of anxiety disorders remains largely unknown. Here we conducted a genome-wide meta-analysis on anxiety disorders by including 74,973 (28,392 proxy) cases and 400,243 (146,771 proxy) controls. We identified 14 risk loci, including 10 new associations near CNTNAP5, MAP2, RAB9BP1, BTN1A1, PRR16, PCLO, PTPRD, FARP1, CDH2 and RAB27B. Functional genomics and fine-mapping pinpointed the potential causal variants, and expression quantitative trait loci analysis revealed the potential target genes regulated by the risk variants. Integrative analyses, including transcriptome-wide association study, proteome-wide association study and colocalization analyses, prioritized potential causal genes (including CTNND1 and RAB27B). Evidence from multiple analyses revealed possibly causal genes, including RAB27B, BTN3A2, PCLO and CTNND1. Finally, we showed that Ctnnd1 knockdown affected dendritic spine density and resulted in anxiety-like behaviours in mice, revealing the potential role of CTNND1 in anxiety disorders. Our study identified new risk loci, potential causal variants and genes for anxiety disorders, providing insights into the genetic architecture of anxiety disorders and potential therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenqiang Li
- Henan Mental Hospital, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Rui Chen
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences & Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Laipeng Feng
- Henan Mental Hospital, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Xinglun Dang
- Department of Psychosomatics and Psychiatry, Zhongda Hospital, School of Medicine, Advanced Institute for Life and Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jiewei Liu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences & Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Tengfei Chen
- Henan Mental Hospital, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Jinfeng Yang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences & Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Xi Su
- Henan Mental Hospital, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Luxian Lv
- Henan Mental Hospital, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Tao Li
- Affiliated Mental Health Center & Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhijun Zhang
- Department of Psychosomatics and Psychiatry, Zhongda Hospital, School of Medicine, Advanced Institute for Life and Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
- Department of Mental Health and Public Health, Faculty of Life and Health Sciences, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xiong-Jian Luo
- Department of Psychosomatics and Psychiatry, Zhongda Hospital, School of Medicine, Advanced Institute for Life and Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, China.
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University, Nanjing, China.
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Boen R, Kaufmann T, van der Meer D, Frei O, Agartz I, Ames D, Andersson M, Armstrong NJ, Artiges E, Atkins JR, Bauer J, Benedetti F, Boomsma DI, Brodaty H, Brosch K, Buckner RL, Cairns MJ, Calhoun V, Caspers S, Cichon S, Corvin AP, Crespo-Facorro B, Dannlowski U, David FS, de Geus EJC, de Zubicaray GI, Desrivières S, Doherty JL, Donohoe G, Ehrlich S, Eising E, Espeseth T, Fisher SE, Forstner AJ, Fortaner-Uyà L, Frouin V, Fukunaga M, Ge T, Glahn DC, Goltermann J, Grabe HJ, Green MJ, Groenewold NA, Grotegerd D, Grøntvedt GR, Hahn T, Hashimoto R, Hehir-Kwa JY, Henskens FA, Holmes AJ, Håberg AK, Haavik J, Jacquemont S, Jansen A, Jockwitz C, Jönsson EG, Kikuchi M, Kircher T, Kumar K, Le Hellard S, Leu C, Linden DE, Liu J, Loughnan R, Mather KA, McMahon KL, McRae AF, Medland SE, Meinert S, Moreau CA, Morris DW, Mowry BJ, Mühleisen TW, Nenadić I, Nöthen MM, Nyberg L, Ophoff RA, Owen MJ, Pantelis C, Paolini M, Paus T, Pausova Z, Persson K, Quidé Y, Marques TR, Sachdev PS, Sando SB, Schall U, Scott RJ, Selbæk G, Shumskaya E, Silva AI, Sisodiya SM, Stein F, Stein DJ, Straube B, Streit F, Strike LT, Teumer A, Teutenberg L, Thalamuthu A, Tooney PA, Tordesillas-Gutierrez D, Trollor JN, van 't Ent D, van den Bree MBM, van Haren NEM, Vázquez-Bourgon J, Völzke H, Wen W, Wittfeld K, Ching CRK, Westlye LT, Thompson PM, Bearden CE, Selmer KK, Alnæs D, Andreassen OA, Sønderby IE. Beyond the Global Brain Differences: Intraindividual Variability Differences in 1q21.1 Distal and 15q11.2 BP1-BP2 Deletion Carriers. Biol Psychiatry 2024; 95:147-160. [PMID: 37661008 PMCID: PMC7615370 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Carriers of the 1q21.1 distal and 15q11.2 BP1-BP2 copy number variants exhibit regional and global brain differences compared with noncarriers. However, interpreting regional differences is challenging if a global difference drives the regional brain differences. Intraindividual variability measures can be used to test for regional differences beyond global differences in brain structure. METHODS Magnetic resonance imaging data were used to obtain regional brain values for 1q21.1 distal deletion (n = 30) and duplication (n = 27) and 15q11.2 BP1-BP2 deletion (n = 170) and duplication (n = 243) carriers and matched noncarriers (n = 2350). Regional intra-deviation scores, i.e., the standardized difference between an individual's regional difference and global difference, were used to test for regional differences that diverge from the global difference. RESULTS For the 1q21.1 distal deletion carriers, cortical surface area for regions in the medial visual cortex, posterior cingulate, and temporal pole differed less and regions in the prefrontal and superior temporal cortex differed more than the global difference in cortical surface area. For the 15q11.2 BP1-BP2 deletion carriers, cortical thickness in regions in the medial visual cortex, auditory cortex, and temporal pole differed less and the prefrontal and somatosensory cortex differed more than the global difference in cortical thickness. CONCLUSIONS We find evidence for regional effects beyond differences in global brain measures in 1q21.1 distal and 15q11.2 BP1-BP2 copy number variants. The results provide new insight into brain profiling of the 1q21.1 distal and 15q11.2 BP1-BP2 copy number variants, with the potential to increase understanding of the mechanisms involved in altered neurodevelopment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rune Boen
- Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital and Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Tobias Kaufmann
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital and Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health, University of Tübingen, Germany; German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), partner site Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Dennis van der Meer
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital and Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; School of Mental Health and Neuroscience, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Oleksandr Frei
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital and Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Centre for Bioinformatics, Department of Informatics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ingrid Agartz
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Department of Clinical Research, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Centre for Psychiatry Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm Health Care Services, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - David Ames
- University of Melbourne Academic Unit for Psychiatry of Old Age, St George's Hospital, Kew, Victoria, Australia; National Ageing Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Micael Andersson
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology and Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Nicola J Armstrong
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Eric Artiges
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1299, École Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay, Université Paris Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France; Établissement public de santé (EPS) Barthélemy Durand, Etampes, France
| | - Joshua R Atkins
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, College of Medicine, Health and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia; Precision Medicine Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia; Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Jochen Bauer
- University Clinic for Radiology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Francesco Benedetti
- Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology Unit, Division of Neuroscience, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Division of Neuroscience, Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology Unit, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Dorret I Boomsma
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Henry Brodaty
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Katharina Brosch
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Randy L Buckner
- Department of Psychology and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts; Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Murray J Cairns
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, College of Medicine, Health and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia; Precision Medicine Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Vince Calhoun
- Tri-institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science, Georgia State University/Georgia Institute of Technology/Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Svenja Caspers
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany; Institute for Anatomy I, Medical Faculty & University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Sven Cichon
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany; Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; University Hospital Basel, Institute of Medical Genetics and Pathology, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Aiden P Corvin
- Department of Psychiatry, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Benedicto Crespo-Facorro
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/Centro superior de investigaciones científicas (CSIC), Sevilla, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Salud Mental, Sevilla, Spain; Department of Psychiatry, University of Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Udo Dannlowski
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Friederike S David
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Bonn, School of Medicine and University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Eco J C de Geus
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Greig I de Zubicaray
- School of Psychology and Counselling, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Sylvane Desrivières
- Social Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Joanne L Doherty
- Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom; Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre, School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Gary Donohoe
- School of Psychology and Center for Neuroimaging, Cognition and Genomics, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Stefan Ehrlich
- Translational Developmental Neuroscience Section, Division of Psychological and Social Medicine and Developmental Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Else Eising
- Language and Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Thomas Espeseth
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychology, Oslo New University College, Oslo, Norway
| | - Simon E Fisher
- Language and Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Andreas J Forstner
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany; Institute of Human Genetics, University of Bonn, School of Medicine and University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Lidia Fortaner-Uyà
- Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology Unit, Division of Neuroscience, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Division of Neuroscience, Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology Unit, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Vincent Frouin
- Neurospin, Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique (CEA), Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Masaki Fukunaga
- Section of Brain Function Information, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, Japan
| | - Tian Ge
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - David C Glahn
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Janik Goltermann
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Hans J Grabe
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Melissa J Green
- Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Nynke A Groenewold
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Dominik Grotegerd
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Gøril Rolfseng Grøntvedt
- Department of Neuromedicine and Movement Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway; Department of Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology, University Hospital of Trondheim, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Tim Hahn
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Ryota Hashimoto
- Department of Pathology of Mental Diseases, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Jayne Y Hehir-Kwa
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Frans A Henskens
- School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia; Priority Research Centre for Health Behaviour, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Avram J Holmes
- Department of Psychiatry, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey; Brain Health Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey
| | - Asta K Håberg
- Department of Neuromedicine and Movement Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway; Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, St. Olav's Hospital, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Jan Haavik
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway; Division of Psychiatry, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Sebastien Jacquemont
- Sainte Justine Hospital Research Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Andreas Jansen
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany; Core-Facility Brainimaging and Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Christiane Jockwitz
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany; Institute for Anatomy I, Medical Faculty & University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Erik G Jönsson
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Centre for Psychiatry Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm Health Care Services, Stockholm Region, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Masataka Kikuchi
- Department of Genome Informatics, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan; Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Science, The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan
| | - Tilo Kircher
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Kuldeep Kumar
- Sainte Justine Hospital Research Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Stephanie Le Hellard
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway; Dr. Einar Martens Research Group for Biological Psychiatry, Center for Medical Genetics and Molecular Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Costin Leu
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom; Department of Neurology, McGovern Medical School, UTHealth Houston, Houston, Texas
| | - David E Linden
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Innovation Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom; School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Jingyu Liu
- Department of Computer Science and Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Robert Loughnan
- Department of Cognitive Science and Population Neuroscience and Genetics Lab, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Karen A Mather
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Katie L McMahon
- School of Clinical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Allan F McRae
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Sarah E Medland
- Psychiatric Genetics, Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR) Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Susanne Meinert
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany; Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Clara A Moreau
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Institute for Neuroimaging and Informatics, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, California
| | - Derek W Morris
- Centre for Neuroimaging, Cognition and Genomics, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Bryan J Mowry
- Queensland Brain Institute and Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Thomas W Mühleisen
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany; Institute for Anatomy I, Medical Faculty & University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany; Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Igor Nenadić
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Markus M Nöthen
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Bonn, School of Medicine and University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Lars Nyberg
- Departments of Radiation Sciences, Integrative Medical Biology and Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Roel A Ophoff
- Department of Psychiatry, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Departments of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences and Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Michael J Owen
- Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom; Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Christos Pantelis
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Carlton South, Victoria, Australia; Western Centre for Health Research and Education, Sunshine Hospital, St Albans, Victoria, Australia
| | - Marco Paolini
- Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology Unit, Division of Neuroscience, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Division of Neuroscience, Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology Unit, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Tomas Paus
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine and Sainte Justine Hospital Research Center, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Zdenka Pausova
- The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Karin Persson
- Department of Geriatric Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Norwegian National Centre for Ageing and Health, Vestfold Hospital Trust, Tønsberg, Norway
| | - Yann Quidé
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Tiago Reis Marques
- Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Perminder S Sachdev
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Neuropsychiatric Institute, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Sigrid B Sando
- Department of Neuromedicine and Movement Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway; Department of Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology, University Hospital of Trondheim, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Ulrich Schall
- Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Rodney J Scott
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, College of Medicine, Health and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia; Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia; Division of Molecular Medicine, New South Wales Health Pathology, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Geir Selbæk
- Department of Geriatric Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Norwegian National Centre for Ageing and Health, Vestfold Hospital Trust, Tønsberg, Norway; Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Elena Shumskaya
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Ana I Silva
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Innovation Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Sanjay M Sisodiya
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom; Chalfont Centre for Epilepsy, Chalfont St Peter, United Kingdom
| | - Frederike Stein
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Dan J Stein
- SA MRC Unit on Risk and Resilience in Mental Disorders, Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Benjamin Straube
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Fabian Streit
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Lachlan T Strike
- Psychiatric Genetics, Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR) Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; School of Psychology and Counselling, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Alexander Teumer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany; Institute for Community Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany; German Centre for Cardiovascular Research, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Lea Teutenberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Anbupalam Thalamuthu
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Paul A Tooney
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, College of Medicine, Health and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia; Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Diana Tordesillas-Gutierrez
- Instituto de Física de Cantabria UC-CSIC, Santander, Spain; Department of Radiology, Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital, Valdecilla Biomedical Research Institute, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Valdecilla, Santander, Spain
| | - Julian N Trollor
- Department of Developmental Disability Neuropsychiatry and Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Dennis van 't Ent
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Marianne B M van den Bree
- Institute of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences and Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom; Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Neeltje E M van Haren
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Javier Vázquez-Bourgon
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Salud Mental, Sevilla, Spain; Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Maqués de Valdecilla, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Valdecilla, Santander, Spain; Departamento de Medicina y Psiquiatría, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain
| | - Henry Völzke
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research, Greifswald, Germany; Greifswald University Hospital, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Wei Wen
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Katharina Wittfeld
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Christopher R K Ching
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Institute for Neuroimaging and Informatics, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, California
| | - Lars T Westlye
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital and Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; KG Jebsen Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Paul M Thompson
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Institute for Neuroimaging and Informatics, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, California
| | - Carrie E Bearden
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Departments of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences and Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Kaja K Selmer
- Department of Research and Innovation, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, Oslo University Hospital and the University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Dag Alnæs
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital and Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Kristiania University College, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ole A Andreassen
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital and Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; KG Jebsen Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ida E Sønderby
- Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital and Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; KG Jebsen Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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Poller W, Sahoo S, Hajjar R, Landmesser U, Krichevsky AM. Exploration of the Noncoding Genome for Human-Specific Therapeutic Targets-Recent Insights at Molecular and Cellular Level. Cells 2023; 12:2660. [PMID: 37998395 PMCID: PMC10670380 DOI: 10.3390/cells12222660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
While it is well known that 98-99% of the human genome does not encode proteins, but are nevertheless transcriptionally active and give rise to a broad spectrum of noncoding RNAs [ncRNAs] with complex regulatory and structural functions, specific functions have so far been assigned to only a tiny fraction of all known transcripts. On the other hand, the striking observation of an overwhelmingly growing fraction of ncRNAs, in contrast to an only modest increase in the number of protein-coding genes, during evolution from simple organisms to humans, strongly suggests critical but so far essentially unexplored roles of the noncoding genome for human health and disease pathogenesis. Research into the vast realm of the noncoding genome during the past decades thus lead to a profoundly enhanced appreciation of the multi-level complexity of the human genome. Here, we address a few of the many huge remaining knowledge gaps and consider some newly emerging questions and concepts of research. We attempt to provide an up-to-date assessment of recent insights obtained by molecular and cell biological methods, and by the application of systems biology approaches. Specifically, we discuss current data regarding two topics of high current interest: (1) By which mechanisms could evolutionary recent ncRNAs with critical regulatory functions in a broad spectrum of cell types (neural, immune, cardiovascular) constitute novel therapeutic targets in human diseases? (2) Since noncoding genome evolution is causally linked to brain evolution, and given the profound interactions between brain and immune system, could human-specific brain-expressed ncRNAs play a direct or indirect (immune-mediated) role in human diseases? Synergistic with remarkable recent progress regarding delivery, efficacy, and safety of nucleic acid-based therapies, the ongoing large-scale exploration of the noncoding genome for human-specific therapeutic targets is encouraging to proceed with the development and clinical evaluation of novel therapeutic pathways suggested by these research fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wolfgang Poller
- Department for Cardiology, Angiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Deutsches Herzzentrum Charité (DHZC), Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 12200 Berlin, Germany;
- Berlin-Brandenburg Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Site Berlin, 10785 Berlin, Germany
| | - Susmita Sahoo
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1030, New York, NY 10029, USA;
| | - Roger Hajjar
- Gene & Cell Therapy Institute, Mass General Brigham, 65 Landsdowne St, Suite 143, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA;
| | - Ulf Landmesser
- Department for Cardiology, Angiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Deutsches Herzzentrum Charité (DHZC), Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 12200 Berlin, Germany;
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Site Berlin, 10785 Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Institute of Health, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Anna M. Krichevsky
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA;
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14
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Meng X, Lin Q, Zeng X, Jiang J, Li M, Luo X, Chen K, Wu H, Hu Y, Liu C, Su B. Brain developmental and cortical connectivity changes in transgenic monkeys carrying the human-specific duplicated gene SRGAP2C. Natl Sci Rev 2023; 10:nwad281. [PMID: 38090550 PMCID: PMC10712708 DOI: 10.1093/nsr/nwad281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Human-specific duplicated genes contributed to phenotypic innovations during the origin of our own species, such as an enlarged brain and highly developed cognitive abilities. While prior studies on transgenic mice carrying the human-specific SRGAP2C gene have shown enhanced brain connectivity, the relevance to humans remains unclear due to the significant evolutionary gap between humans and rodents. In this study, to investigate the phenotypic outcome and underlying genetic mechanism of SRGAP2C, we generated transgenic cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis) carrying the human-specific SRGAP2C gene. Longitudinal MRI imaging revealed delayed brain development with region-specific volume changes, accompanied by altered myelination levels in the temporal and occipital regions. On a cellular level, the transgenic monkeys exhibited increased deep-layer neurons during fetal neurogenesis and delayed synaptic maturation in adolescence. Moreover, transcriptome analysis detected neotenic expression in molecular pathways related to neuron ensheathment, synaptic connections, extracellular matrix and energy metabolism. Cognitively, the transgenic monkeys demonstrated improved motor planning and execution skills. Together, our findings provide new insights into the mechanisms by which the newly evolved gene shapes the unique development and circuitry of the human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
- National Resource Center for Non-Human Primates, Kunming Primate Research Center, and National Research Facility for Phenotypic and Genetic Analysis of Model Animals (Primate Facility), Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650107, China
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Qiang Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
| | - Xuerui Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
- National Resource Center for Non-Human Primates, Kunming Primate Research Center, and National Research Facility for Phenotypic and Genetic Analysis of Model Animals (Primate Facility), Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650107, China
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Jin Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
| | - Min Li
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
| | - Xin Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
- National Resource Center for Non-Human Primates, Kunming Primate Research Center, and National Research Facility for Phenotypic and Genetic Analysis of Model Animals (Primate Facility), Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650107, China
| | - Kaimin Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
- National Resource Center for Non-Human Primates, Kunming Primate Research Center, and National Research Facility for Phenotypic and Genetic Analysis of Model Animals (Primate Facility), Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650107, China
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Haixu Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
- National Resource Center for Non-Human Primates, Kunming Primate Research Center, and National Research Facility for Phenotypic and Genetic Analysis of Model Animals (Primate Facility), Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650107, China
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Yan Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
| | - Cirong Liu
- Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Bing Su
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
- National Resource Center for Non-Human Primates, Kunming Primate Research Center, and National Research Facility for Phenotypic and Genetic Analysis of Model Animals (Primate Facility), Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650107, China
- Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
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15
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Dudka D, Akins RB, Lampson MA. FREEDA: An automated computational pipeline guides experimental testing of protein innovation. J Cell Biol 2023; 222:e202212084. [PMID: 37358475 PMCID: PMC10292211 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202212084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2022] [Revised: 04/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Cell biologists typically focus on conserved regions of a protein, overlooking innovations that can shape its function over evolutionary time. Computational analyses can reveal potential innovations by detecting statistical signatures of positive selection that lead to rapid accumulation of beneficial mutations. However, these approaches are not easily accessible to non-specialists, limiting their use in cell biology. Here, we present an automated computational pipeline FREEDA that provides a simple graphical user interface requiring only a gene name; integrates widely used molecular evolution tools to detect positive selection in rodents, primates, carnivores, birds, and flies; and maps results onto protein structures predicted by AlphaFold. Applying FREEDA to >100 centromere proteins, we find statistical evidence of positive selection within loops and turns of ancient domains, suggesting innovation of essential functions. As a proof-of-principle experiment, we show innovation in centromere binding of mouse CENP-O. Overall, we provide an accessible computational tool to guide cell biology research and apply it to experimentally demonstrate functional innovation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damian Dudka
- Department of Biology, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - R. Brian Akins
- Department of Biology, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Michael A. Lampson
- Department of Biology, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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16
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Moffat A, Schuurmans C. The Control of Cortical Folding: Multiple Mechanisms, Multiple Models. Neuroscientist 2023:10738584231190839. [PMID: 37621149 DOI: 10.1177/10738584231190839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
The cerebral cortex develops through a carefully conscripted series of cellular and molecular events that culminate in the production of highly specialized neuronal and glial cells. During development, cortical neurons and glia acquire a precise cellular arrangement and architecture to support higher-order cognitive functioning. Decades of study using rodent models, naturally gyrencephalic animal models, human pathology specimens, and, recently, human cerebral organoids, reveal that rodents recapitulate some but not all the cellular and molecular features of human cortices. Whereas rodent cortices are smooth-surfaced or lissencephalic, larger mammals, including humans and nonhuman primates, have highly folded/gyrencephalic cortices that accommodate an expansion in neuronal mass and increase in surface area. Several genes have evolved to drive cortical gyrification, arising from gene duplications or de novo origins, or by alterations to the structure/function of ancestral genes or their gene regulatory regions. Primary cortical folds arise in stereotypical locations, prefigured by a molecular "blueprint" that is set up by several signaling pathways (e.g., Notch, Fgf, Wnt, PI3K, Shh) and influenced by the extracellular matrix. Mutations that affect neural progenitor cell proliferation and/or neurogenesis, predominantly of upper-layer neurons, perturb cortical gyrification. Below we review the molecular drivers of cortical folding and their roles in disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Moffat
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Biological Sciences Platform, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Carol Schuurmans
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Biological Sciences Platform, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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17
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Wu L, Lambert JD. Clade-specific genes and the evolutionary origin of novelty; new tools in the toolkit. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2023; 145:52-59. [PMID: 35659164 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2022.05.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Clade-specific (a.k.a. lineage-specific) genes are very common and found at all taxonomic levels and in all clades examined. They can arise by duplication of previously existing genes, which can involve partial truncations or combinations with other protein domains or regulatory sequences. They can also evolve de novo from non-coding sequences, leading to potentially truly novel protein domains. Finally, since clade-specific genes are generally defined by lack of sequence homology with other proteins, they can also arise by sequence evolution that is rapid enough that previous sequence homology can no longer be detected. In such cases, where the rapid evolution is followed by constraint, we consider them to be ontologically non-novel but likely novel at a functional level. In general, clade-specific genes have received less attention from biologists but there are increasing numbers of fascinating examples of their roles in important traits. Here we review some selected recent examples, and argue that attention to clade-specific genes is an important corrective to the focus on the conserved developmental regulatory toolkit that has been the habit of evo-devo as a field. Finally, we discuss questions that arise about the evolution of clade-specific genes, and how these might be addressed by future studies. We highlight the hypothesis that clade-specific genes are more likely to be involved in synapomorphies that arose in the stem group where they appeared, compared to other genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Longjun Wu
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, USA
| | - J David Lambert
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, USA.
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18
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Laufer VA, Glover TW, Wilson TE. Applications of advanced technologies for detecting genomic structural variation. MUTATION RESEARCH. REVIEWS IN MUTATION RESEARCH 2023; 792:108475. [PMID: 37931775 PMCID: PMC10792551 DOI: 10.1016/j.mrrev.2023.108475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
Chromosomal structural variation (SV) encompasses a heterogenous class of genetic variants that exerts strong influences on human health and disease. Despite their importance, many structural variants (SVs) have remained poorly characterized at even a basic level, a discrepancy predicated upon the technical limitations of prior genomic assays. However, recent advances in genomic technology can identify and localize SVs accurately, opening new questions regarding SV risk factors and their impacts in humans. Here, we first define and classify human SVs and their generative mechanisms, highlighting characteristics leveraged by various SV assays. We next examine the first-ever gapless assembly of the human genome and the technical process of assembling it, which required third-generation sequencing technologies to resolve structurally complex loci. The new portions of that "telomere-to-telomere" and subsequent pangenome assemblies highlight aspects of SV biology likely to develop in the near-term. We consider the strengths and limitations of the most promising new SV technologies and when they or longstanding approaches are best suited to meeting salient goals in the study of human SV in population-scale genomics research, clinical, and public health contexts. It is a watershed time in our understanding of human SV when new approaches are expected to fundamentally change genomic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent A Laufer
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
| | - Thomas W Glover
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
| | - Thomas E Wilson
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
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19
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Vaill M, Kawanishi K, Varki N, Gagneux P, Varki A. Comparative physiological anthropogeny: exploring molecular underpinnings of distinctly human phenotypes. Physiol Rev 2023; 103:2171-2229. [PMID: 36603157 PMCID: PMC10151058 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00040.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Revised: 12/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Anthropogeny is a classic term encompassing transdisciplinary investigations of the origins of the human species. Comparative anthropogeny is a systematic comparison of humans and other living nonhuman hominids (so-called "great apes"), aiming to identify distinctly human features in health and disease, with the overall goal of explaining human origins. We begin with a historical perspective, briefly describing how the field progressed from the earliest evolutionary insights to the current emphasis on in-depth molecular and genomic investigations of "human-specific" biology and an increased appreciation for cultural impacts on human biology. While many such genetic differences between humans and other hominids have been revealed over the last two decades, this information remains insufficient to explain the most distinctive phenotypic traits distinguishing humans from other living hominids. Here we undertake a complementary approach of "comparative physiological anthropogeny," along the lines of the preclinical medical curriculum, i.e., beginning with anatomy and considering each physiological system and in each case considering genetic and molecular components that are relevant. What is ultimately needed is a systematic comparative approach at all levels from molecular to physiological to sociocultural, building networks of related information, drawing inferences, and generating testable hypotheses. The concluding section will touch on distinctive considerations in the study of human evolution, including the importance of gene-culture interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Vaill
- Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
- Glycobiology Research and Training Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Kunio Kawanishi
- Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
- Department of Experimental Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Nissi Varki
- Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
- Glycobiology Research and Training Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
- Department of Pathology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Pascal Gagneux
- Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
- Glycobiology Research and Training Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
- Department of Pathology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Ajit Varki
- Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
- Glycobiology Research and Training Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
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20
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Koo B, Lee KH, Ming GL, Yoon KJ, Song H. Setting the clock of neural progenitor cells during mammalian corticogenesis. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2023; 142:43-53. [PMID: 35644876 PMCID: PMC9699901 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2022.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Revised: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Radial glial cells (RGCs) as primary neural stem cells in the developing mammalian cortex give rise to diverse types of neurons and glial cells according to sophisticated developmental programs with remarkable spatiotemporal precision. Recent studies suggest that regulation of the temporal competence of RGCs is a key mechanism for the highly conserved and predictable development of the cerebral cortex. Various types of epigenetic regulations, such as DNA methylation, histone modifications, and 3D chromatin architecture, play a key role in shaping the gene expression pattern of RGCs. In addition, epitranscriptomic modifications regulate temporal pre-patterning of RGCs by affecting the turnover rate and function of cell-type-specific transcripts. In this review, we summarize epigenetic and epitranscriptomic regulatory mechanisms that control the temporal competence of RGCs during mammalian corticogenesis. Furthermore, we discuss various developmental elements that also dynamically regulate the temporal competence of RGCs, including biochemical reaction speed, local environmental changes, and subcellular organelle remodeling. Finally, we discuss the underlying mechanisms that regulate the interspecies developmental tempo contributing to human-specific features of brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bonsang Koo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Ki-Heon Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Guo-Li Ming
- Department of Neuroscience and Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School for Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School for Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Ki-Jun Yoon
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea.
| | - Hongjun Song
- Department of Neuroscience and Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School for Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School for Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; The Epigenetics Institute, Perelman School for Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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21
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Fernández V, Borrell V. Developmental mechanisms of gyrification. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2023; 80:102711. [DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2023.102711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
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22
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Buchner F, Dokuzluoglu Z, Grass T, Rodriguez-Muela N. Spinal Cord Organoids to Study Motor Neuron Development and Disease. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:1254. [PMID: 37374039 DOI: 10.3390/life13061254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Motor neuron diseases (MNDs) are a heterogeneous group of disorders that affect the cranial and/or spinal motor neurons (spMNs), spinal sensory neurons and the muscular system. Although they have been investigated for decades, we still lack a comprehensive understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms; and therefore, efficacious therapies are scarce. Model organisms and relatively simple two-dimensional cell culture systems have been instrumental in our current knowledge of neuromuscular disease pathology; however, in the recent years, human 3D in vitro models have transformed the disease-modeling landscape. While cerebral organoids have been pursued the most, interest in spinal cord organoids (SCOs) is now also increasing. Pluripotent stem cell (PSC)-based protocols to generate SpC-like structures, sometimes including the adjacent mesoderm and derived skeletal muscle, are constantly being refined and applied to study early human neuromuscular development and disease. In this review, we outline the evolution of human PSC-derived models for generating spMN and recapitulating SpC development. We also discuss how these models have been applied to exploring the basis of human neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases. Finally, we provide an overview of the main challenges to overcome in order to generate more physiologically relevant human SpC models and propose some exciting new perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Buchner
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | | | - Tobias Grass
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Natalia Rodriguez-Muela
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, 01307 Dresden, Germany
- Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307 Dresden, Germany
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23
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Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by the progressive loss of structure or function of neurons. In this Spotlight, we explore the idea that genetic forms of neurodegenerative disorders might be rooted in neural development. Focusing on Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's disease, we first provide a brief overview of the pathology for these diseases. Although neurodegenerative diseases are generally thought of as late-onset diseases, we discuss recent evidence promoting the notion that they might be considered neurodevelopmental disorders. With this view in mind, we consider the suitability of animal models for studying these diseases, highlighting human-specific features of human brain development. We conclude by proposing that one such feature, human-specific regulation of neurogenic time, might be key to understanding the etiology and pathophysiology of human neurodegenerative disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khadijeh Shabani
- Institut du Cerveau – Paris Brain Institute – ICM, Sorbonne Université, Inserm, CNRS, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Bassem A. Hassan
- Institut du Cerveau – Paris Brain Institute – ICM, Sorbonne Université, Inserm, CNRS, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, 75013 Paris, France
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24
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Dang X, Song M, Lv L, Yang Y, Luo XJ. Proteome-wide Mendelian randomization reveals the causal effects of immune-related plasma proteins on psychiatric disorders. Hum Genet 2023; 142:809-818. [PMID: 37085628 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-023-02562-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/23/2023]
Abstract
Immune dysregulation has been consistently reported in psychiatric disorders, however, the causes and mechanisms underlying immune dysregulation in psychiatric disorders remain largely unclear. Here we conduct a Mendelian randomization study by integrating plasma proteome and GWASs of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression. The primate-specific immune-related protein BTN3A3 showed the most significant associations with all three psychiatric disorders. In addition, other immune-related proteins, including AIF1, FOXO3, IRF3, CFHR4, IGLON5, FKBP2, and PI3, also showed significant associations with psychiatric disorders. Our study showed that a proportion of psychiatric risk variants may contribute to disease risk by regulating immune-related plasma proteins, providing direct evidence that connect the genetic risk of psychiatric disorders to immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinglun Dang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences & Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650204, Yunnan, China
| | - Meng Song
- Henan Mental Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453002, Henan, China
- Henan Key Lab of Biological Psychiatry of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453002, Henan, China
| | - Luxian Lv
- Henan Mental Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453002, Henan, China.
- Henan Key Lab of Biological Psychiatry of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453002, Henan, China.
| | - Yongfeng Yang
- Henan Mental Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453002, Henan, China.
- Henan Key Lab of Biological Psychiatry of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453002, Henan, China.
- Henan Collaborative Innovation Center of Prevention and Treatment of Mental Disorder, Xinxiang, 453002, Henan, China.
| | - Xiong-Jian Luo
- Zhongda Hospital, School of Medicine, Advanced Institute for Life and Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, Jiangsu, China.
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25
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Recinella L, Libero ML, Citi V, Chiavaroli A, Martelli A, Foligni R, Mannozzi C, Acquaviva A, Di Simone S, Calderone V, Orlando G, Ferrante C, Veschi S, Piro A, Menghini L, Brunetti L, Leone S. Anti-Inflammatory and Vasorelaxant Effects Induced by an Aqueous Aged Black Garlic Extract Supplemented with Vitamins D, C, and B12 on Cardiovascular System. Foods 2023; 12:foods12071558. [PMID: 37048379 PMCID: PMC10094181 DOI: 10.3390/foods12071558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Multiple studies demonstrated biological activities of aged black garlic, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and cardioprotective effects. We aimed to investigate the protective effects of an aged black garlic water extract (ABGE) alone or in association with multivitamins consisting of combined Vitamins D, C, and B12, on mouse heart specimens exposed to E. coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Moreover, we studied the hydrogen sulphide (H2S) releasing properties and the membrane hyperpolarization effect of the Formulation composed by ABGE and multivitamins, using Human Aortic Smooth Muscle Cells (HASMCs). ABGE, vitamins D and C, and the Formulation suppressed LPS-induced gene expression of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6, nuclear factor-kB (NF-kB), and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) on mouse heart specimens. The beneficial effects induced by the extract could be related to the pattern of polyphenolic composition, with particular regard to gallic acid and catechin. The Formulation also increased fluorescence values compared to the vehicle, and it caused a significant membrane hyperpolarization of HASMCs compared to ABGE. To conclude, our present findings showed that ABGE, alone and in association with multivitamins, exhibited protective effects on mouse heart. Moreover, the Formulation increased intracellular H2S formation, further suggesting its potential use on cardiovascular disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Recinella
- Department of Pharmacy, G. d'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, 66013 Chieti, Italy
| | - Maria Loreta Libero
- Department of Pharmacy, G. d'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, 66013 Chieti, Italy
| | - Valentina Citi
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Annalisa Chiavaroli
- Department of Pharmacy, G. d'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, 66013 Chieti, Italy
| | - Alma Martelli
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
- Interdepartmental Research Center "Nutrafood: Nutraceutica e Alimentazione per la Salute", University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
- CISUP, Centre for Instrumentation Sharing of Pisa University, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Roberta Foligni
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche 10, 60121 Ancona, Italy
| | - Cinzia Mannozzi
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche 10, 60121 Ancona, Italy
| | - Alessandra Acquaviva
- Department of Pharmacy, G. d'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, 66013 Chieti, Italy
- Veridia Italia Srl, Via Piano di Sacco, 65013 Città Sant'Angelo, Italy
| | - Simonetta Di Simone
- Department of Pharmacy, G. d'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, 66013 Chieti, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Calderone
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
- Interdepartmental Research Center "Nutrafood: Nutraceutica e Alimentazione per la Salute", University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
- CISUP, Centre for Instrumentation Sharing of Pisa University, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Giustino Orlando
- Department of Pharmacy, G. d'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, 66013 Chieti, Italy
| | - Claudio Ferrante
- Department of Pharmacy, G. d'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, 66013 Chieti, Italy
| | - Serena Veschi
- Department of Pharmacy, G. d'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, 66013 Chieti, Italy
| | - Anna Piro
- Department of Pharmacy, G. d'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, 66013 Chieti, Italy
| | - Luigi Menghini
- Department of Pharmacy, G. d'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, 66013 Chieti, Italy
| | - Luigi Brunetti
- Department of Pharmacy, G. d'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, 66013 Chieti, Italy
| | - Sheila Leone
- Department of Pharmacy, G. d'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, 66013 Chieti, Italy
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26
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Gkini V, Namba T. Glutaminolysis and the Control of Neural Progenitors in Neocortical Development and Evolution. Neuroscientist 2023; 29:177-189. [PMID: 35057642 PMCID: PMC10018057 DOI: 10.1177/10738584211069060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Multiple types of neural progenitor cells (NPCs) contribute to the development of the neocortex, a brain region responsible for our higher cognitive abilities. Proliferative capacity of NPCs varies among NPC types, developmental stages, and species. The higher proliferative capacity of NPCs in the developing human neocortex is thought to be a major contributing factor why humans have the most expanded neocortex within primates. Recent studies have shed light on the importance of cell metabolism in the neocortical NPC proliferative capacity. Specifically, glutaminolysis, a metabolic pathway that converts glutamine to glutamate and then to α-ketoglutarate, has been shown to play a critical role in human NPCs, both in apical and basal progenitors. In this review, we summarize our current knowledge of NPC metabolism, focusing especially on glutaminolysis, and discuss the role of NPC metabolism in neocortical development, evolution, and neurodevelopmental disorders, providing a broader perspective on a newly emerging research field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasiliki Gkini
- Neuroscience Center, HiLIFE—Helsinki
Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Takashi Namba
- Neuroscience Center, HiLIFE—Helsinki
Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Takashi Namba, Neuroscience Center, HiLIFE
— Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, PO 63,
Haartmaninkatu 8, Helsinki 00014, Finland.
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27
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Evolution and implications of de novo genes in humans. Nat Ecol Evol 2023:10.1038/s41559-023-02014-y. [PMID: 36928843 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02014-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
Genes and translated open reading frames (ORFs) that emerged de novo from previously non-coding sequences provide species with opportunities for adaptation. When aberrantly activated, some human-specific de novo genes and ORFs have disease-promoting properties-for instance, driving tumour growth. Thousands of putative de novo coding sequences have been described in humans, but we still do not know what fraction of those ORFs has readily acquired a function. Here, we discuss the challenges and controversies surrounding the detection, mechanisms of origin, annotation, validation and characterization of de novo genes and ORFs. Through manual curation of literature and databases, we provide a thorough table with most de novo genes reported for humans to date. We re-evaluate each locus by tracing the enabling mutations and list proposed disease associations, protein characteristics and supporting evidence for translation and protein detection. This work will support future explorations of de novo genes and ORFs in humans.
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28
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Pilaz LJ, Liu J, Joshi K, Tsunekawa Y, Musso CM, D'Arcy BR, Suzuki IK, Alsina FC, Kc P, Sethi S, Vanderhaeghen P, Polleux F, Silver DL. Subcellular mRNA localization and local translation of Arhgap11a in radial glial progenitors regulates cortical development. Neuron 2023; 111:839-856.e5. [PMID: 36924763 PMCID: PMC10132781 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.02.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Revised: 11/26/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023]
Abstract
mRNA localization and local translation enable exquisite spatial and temporal control of gene expression, particularly in polarized, elongated cells. These features are especially prominent in radial glial cells (RGCs), which are neural and glial precursors of the developing cerebral cortex and scaffolds for migrating neurons. Yet the mechanisms by which subcellular RGC compartments accomplish their diverse functions are poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that mRNA localization and local translation of the RhoGAP ARHGAP11A in the basal endfeet of RGCs control their morphology and mediate neuronal positioning. Arhgap11a transcript and protein exhibit conserved localization to RGC basal structures in mice and humans, conferred by the 5' UTR. Proper RGC morphology relies upon active Arhgap11a mRNA transport and localization to the basal endfeet, where ARHGAP11A is locally synthesized. This translation is essential for positioning interneurons at the basement membrane. Thus, local translation spatially and acutely activates Rho signaling in RGCs to compartmentalize neural progenitor functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis-Jan Pilaz
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Pediatrics and Rare Diseases Group, Sanford Research, Sioux Falls, SD 57104, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Sioux Falls, SD 57105, USA
| | - Jing Liu
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Kaumudi Joshi
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Yuji Tsunekawa
- Laboratory for Cell Asymmetry, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Japan
| | - Camila M Musso
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Brooke R D'Arcy
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Ikuo K Suzuki
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Fernando C Alsina
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Pratiksha Kc
- Pediatrics and Rare Diseases Group, Sanford Research, Sioux Falls, SD 57104, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Sioux Falls, SD 57105, USA
| | - Sahil Sethi
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Pierre Vanderhaeghen
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; KU Leuven, Department of Neurosciences & Leuven Brain Institute, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Université Libre de Bruxelles (U.L.B.), Institut de Recherches en Biologie Humaine et Moléculaire (IRIBHM), and ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), 1070 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Franck Polleux
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, New York, NY 10027, USA; Kavli Institute for Brain Sciences, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Debra L Silver
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Departments of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Duke Institute for Brain Sciences and Duke Regeneration Center, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
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29
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Vaid S, Heikinheimo O, Namba T. Embryonic mouse medial neocortex as a model system for studying the radial glial scaffold in fetal human neocortex. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2023; 130:185-194. [PMID: 36450874 PMCID: PMC10033555 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-022-02570-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Neocortex is the evolutionarily newest region in the brain, and is a structure with diversified size and morphology among mammalian species. Humans have the biggest neocortex compared to the body size, and their neocortex has many foldings, that is, gyri and sulci. Despite the recent methodological advances in in vitro models such as cerebral organoids, mice have been continuously used as a model system for studying human neocortical development because of the accessibility and practicality of in vivo gene manipulation. The commonly studied neocortical region, the lateral neocortex, generally recapitulates the developmental process of the human neocortex, however, there are several important factors missing in the lateral neocortex. First, basal (outer) radial glia (bRG), which are the main cell type providing the radial scaffold to the migrating neurons in the fetal human neocortex, are very few in the mouse lateral neocortex, thus the radial glial scaffold is different from the fetal human neocortex. Second, as a consequence of the difference in the radial glial scaffold, migrating neurons might exhibit different migratory behavior and thus distribution. To overcome those problems, we propose the mouse medial neocortex, where we have earlier revealed an abundance of bRG similar to the fetal human neocortex, as an alternative model system. We found that similar to the fetal human neocortex, the radial glial scaffold, neuronal migration and neuronal distribution are tangentially scattered in the mouse medial neocortex. Taken together, the embryonic mouse medial neocortex could be a suitable and accessible in vivo model system to study human neocortical development and its pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samir Vaid
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva, 1211, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Oskari Heikinheimo
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, P.O. 140, 00029, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Takashi Namba
- Neuroscience Center, HiLIFE - Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, P.O. 63, 00014, Helsinki, Finland.
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30
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Dudka D, Akins RB, Lampson MA. FREEDA: an automated computational pipeline guides experimental testing of protein innovation by detecting positive selection. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.27.530329. [PMID: 36909479 PMCID: PMC10002610 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.27.530329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
Cell biologists typically focus on conserved regions of a protein, overlooking innovations that can shape its function over evolutionary time. Computational analyses can reveal potential innovations by detecting statistical signatures of positive selection that leads to rapid accumulation of beneficial mutations. However, these approaches are not easily accessible to non-specialists, limiting their use in cell biology. Here, we present an automated computational pipeline FREEDA (Finder of Rapidly Evolving Exons in De novo Assemblies) that provides a simple graphical user interface requiring only a gene name, integrates widely used molecular evolution tools to detect positive selection, and maps results onto protein structures predicted by AlphaFold. Applying FREEDA to >100 mouse centromere proteins, we find evidence of positive selection in intrinsically disordered regions of ancient domains, suggesting innovation of essential functions. As a proof-of-principle experiment, we show innovation in centromere binding of CENP-O. Overall, we provide an accessible computational tool to guide cell biology research and apply it to experimentally demonstrate functional innovation.
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31
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Soto DC, Uribe-Salazar JM, Shew CJ, Sekar A, McGinty SP, Dennis MY. Genomic structural variation: A complex but important driver of human evolution. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2023. [PMID: 36794631 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2022] [Revised: 01/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
Structural variants (SVs)-including duplications, deletions, and inversions of DNA-can have significant genomic and functional impacts but are technically difficult to identify and assay compared with single-nucleotide variants. With the aid of new genomic technologies, it has become clear that SVs account for significant differences across and within species. This phenomenon is particularly well-documented for humans and other primates due to the wealth of sequence data available. In great apes, SVs affect a larger number of nucleotides than single-nucleotide variants, with many identified SVs exhibiting population and species specificity. In this review, we highlight the importance of SVs in human evolution by (1) how they have shaped great ape genomes resulting in sensitized regions associated with traits and diseases, (2) their impact on gene functions and regulation, which subsequently has played a role in natural selection, and (3) the role of gene duplications in human brain evolution. We further discuss how to incorporate SVs in research, including the strengths and limitations of various genomic approaches. Finally, we propose future considerations in integrating existing data and biospecimens with the ever-expanding SV compendium propelled by biotechnology advancements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela C Soto
- Genome Center, MIND Institute, Department of Biochemstry & Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, California, USA.,Integrative Genetics and Genomics Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - José M Uribe-Salazar
- Genome Center, MIND Institute, Department of Biochemstry & Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, California, USA.,Integrative Genetics and Genomics Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - Colin J Shew
- Genome Center, MIND Institute, Department of Biochemstry & Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, California, USA.,Integrative Genetics and Genomics Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - Aarthi Sekar
- Genome Center, MIND Institute, Department of Biochemstry & Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, California, USA.,Integrative Genetics and Genomics Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - Sean P McGinty
- Genome Center, MIND Institute, Department of Biochemstry & Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, California, USA.,Integrative Genetics and Genomics Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - Megan Y Dennis
- Genome Center, MIND Institute, Department of Biochemstry & Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, California, USA.,Integrative Genetics and Genomics Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, California, USA
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32
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Vanderhaeghen P, Polleux F. Developmental mechanisms underlying the evolution of human cortical circuits. Nat Rev Neurosci 2023; 24:213-232. [PMID: 36792753 PMCID: PMC10064077 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-023-00675-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
The brain of modern humans has evolved remarkable computational abilities that enable higher cognitive functions. These capacities are tightly linked to an increase in the size and connectivity of the cerebral cortex, which is thought to have resulted from evolutionary changes in the mechanisms of cortical development. Convergent progress in evolutionary genomics, developmental biology and neuroscience has recently enabled the identification of genomic changes that act as human-specific modifiers of cortical development. These modifiers influence most aspects of corticogenesis, from the timing and complexity of cortical neurogenesis to synaptogenesis and the assembly of cortical circuits. Mutations of human-specific genetic modifiers of corticogenesis have started to be linked to neurodevelopmental disorders, providing evidence for their physiological relevance and suggesting potential relationships between the evolution of the human brain and its sensitivity to specific diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Vanderhaeghen
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium.
- Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Franck Polleux
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
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33
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Boeckx C. What made us "hunter-gatherers of words". Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1080861. [PMID: 36845441 PMCID: PMC9947416 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1080861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
This paper makes three interconnected claims: (i) the "human condition" cannot be captured by evolutionary narratives that reduce it to a recent 'cognitive modernity', nor by narratives that eliminates all cognitive differences between us and out closest extinct relatives, (ii) signals from paleogenomics, especially coming from deserts of introgression but also from signatures of positive selection, point to the importance of mutations that impact neurodevelopment, plausibly leading to temperamental differences, which may impact cultural evolutionary trajectories in specific ways, and (iii) these trajectories are expected to affect the language phenotypes, modifying what is being learned and how it is put to use. In particular, I hypothesize that these different trajectories influence the development of symbolic systems, the flexible ways in which symbols combine, and the size and configurations of the communities in which these systems are put to use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cedric Boeckx
- Section of General Linguistics, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Complex Systems, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Catalan Institute for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
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34
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Lafferty MJ, Aygün N, Patel NK, Krupa O, Liang D, Wolter JM, Geschwind DH, de la Torre-Ubieta L, Stein JL. MicroRNA-eQTLs in the developing human neocortex link miR-4707-3p expression to brain size. eLife 2023; 12:e79488. [PMID: 36629315 PMCID: PMC9859047 DOI: 10.7554/elife.79488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) data have proven important for linking non-coding loci to protein-coding genes. But eQTL studies rarely measure microRNAs (miRNAs), small non-coding RNAs known to play a role in human brain development and neurogenesis. Here, we performed small-RNA sequencing across 212 mid-gestation human neocortical tissue samples, measured 907 expressed miRNAs, discovering 111 of which were novel, and identified 85 local-miRNA-eQTLs. Colocalization of miRNA-eQTLs with GWAS summary statistics yielded one robust colocalization of miR-4707-3p expression with educational attainment and brain size phenotypes, where the miRNA expression increasing allele was associated with decreased brain size. Exogenous expression of miR-4707-3p in primary human neural progenitor cells decreased expression of predicted targets and increased cell proliferation, indicating miR-4707-3p modulates progenitor gene regulation and cell fate decisions. Integrating miRNA-eQTLs with existing GWAS yielded evidence of a miRNA that may influence human brain size and function via modulation of neocortical brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Lafferty
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillUnited States
- UNC Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillUnited States
| | - Nil Aygün
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillUnited States
- UNC Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillUnited States
| | - Niyanta K Patel
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillUnited States
- UNC Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillUnited States
| | - Oleh Krupa
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillUnited States
- UNC Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillUnited States
| | - Dan Liang
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillUnited States
- UNC Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillUnited States
| | - Justin M Wolter
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillUnited States
- UNC Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillUnited States
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillUnited States
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, The University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillUnited States
| | - Daniel H Geschwind
- Neurogenetics Program, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
- Center for Autism Research and Treatment, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Luis de la Torre-Ubieta
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Jason L Stein
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillUnited States
- UNC Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillUnited States
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, The University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillUnited States
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35
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Van Heurck R, Bonnefont J, Wojno M, Suzuki IK, Velez-Bravo FD, Erkol E, Nguyen DT, Herpoel A, Bilheu A, Beckers S, Ledent C, Vanderhaeghen P. CROCCP2 acts as a human-specific modifier of cilia dynamics and mTOR signaling to promote expansion of cortical progenitors. Neuron 2023; 111:65-80.e6. [PMID: 36334595 PMCID: PMC9831670 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.10.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Revised: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The primary cilium is a central signaling component during embryonic development. Here we focus on CROCCP2, a hominid-specific gene duplicate from ciliary rootlet coiled coil (CROCC), also known as rootletin, that encodes the major component of the ciliary rootlet. We find that CROCCP2 is highly expressed in the human fetal brain and not in other primate species. CROCCP2 gain of function in the mouse embryonic cortex and human cortical cells and organoids results in decreased ciliogenesis and increased cortical progenitor amplification, particularly basal progenitors. CROCCP2 decreases ciliary dynamics by inhibition of the IFT20 ciliary trafficking protein, which then impacts neurogenesis through increased mTOR signaling. Loss of function of CROCCP2 in human cortical cells and organoids leads to increased ciliogenesis, decreased mTOR signaling, and impaired basal progenitor amplification. These data identify CROCCP2 as a human-specific modifier of cortical neurogenesis that acts through modulation of ciliary dynamics and mTOR signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roxane Van Heurck
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium,Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium,Université Libre de Bruxelles (U.L.B.), Institut de Recherches en Biologie Humaine et Moléculaire (IRIBHM), and ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), 1070 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jérôme Bonnefont
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium,Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium,Université Libre de Bruxelles (U.L.B.), Institut de Recherches en Biologie Humaine et Moléculaire (IRIBHM), and ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), 1070 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Marta Wojno
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium,Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium,Université Libre de Bruxelles (U.L.B.), Institut de Recherches en Biologie Humaine et Moléculaire (IRIBHM), and ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), 1070 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ikuo K. Suzuki
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium,Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium,Université Libre de Bruxelles (U.L.B.), Institut de Recherches en Biologie Humaine et Moléculaire (IRIBHM), and ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), 1070 Brussels, Belgium,Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Fausto D. Velez-Bravo
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium,Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium,Université Libre de Bruxelles (U.L.B.), Institut de Recherches en Biologie Humaine et Moléculaire (IRIBHM), and ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), 1070 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Emir Erkol
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium,Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium,Université Libre de Bruxelles (U.L.B.), Institut de Recherches en Biologie Humaine et Moléculaire (IRIBHM), and ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), 1070 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Dan Truc Nguyen
- Université Libre de Bruxelles (U.L.B.), Institut de Recherches en Biologie Humaine et Moléculaire (IRIBHM), and ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), 1070 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Adèle Herpoel
- Université Libre de Bruxelles (U.L.B.), Institut de Recherches en Biologie Humaine et Moléculaire (IRIBHM), and ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), 1070 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Angéline Bilheu
- Université Libre de Bruxelles (U.L.B.), Institut de Recherches en Biologie Humaine et Moléculaire (IRIBHM), and ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), 1070 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sofie Beckers
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium,Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Catherine Ledent
- Université Libre de Bruxelles (U.L.B.), Institut de Recherches en Biologie Humaine et Moléculaire (IRIBHM), and ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), 1070 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Pierre Vanderhaeghen
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium,Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium,Université Libre de Bruxelles (U.L.B.), Institut de Recherches en Biologie Humaine et Moléculaire (IRIBHM), and ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), 1070 Brussels, Belgium,Corresponding author
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Andrews MG, Subramanian L, Salma J, Kriegstein AR. How mechanisms of stem cell polarity shape the human cerebral cortex. Nat Rev Neurosci 2022; 23:711-724. [PMID: 36180551 PMCID: PMC10571506 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-022-00631-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Apical-basal progenitor cell polarity establishes key features of the radial and laminar architecture of the developing human cortex. The unique diversity of cortical stem cell populations and an expansion of progenitor population size in the human cortex have been mirrored by an increase in the complexity of cellular processes that regulate stem cell morphology and behaviour, including their polarity. The study of human cells in primary tissue samples and human stem cell-derived model systems (such as cortical organoids) has provided insight into these processes, revealing that protein complexes regulate progenitor polarity by controlling cell membrane adherence within appropriate cortical niches and are themselves regulated by cytoskeletal proteins, signalling molecules and receptors, and cellular organelles. Studies exploring how cortical stem cell polarity is established and maintained are key for understanding the features of human brain development and have implications for neurological dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeline G Andrews
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- The Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Lakshmi Subramanian
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- The Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Ideaya Biosciences, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jahan Salma
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Arnold R Kriegstein
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- The Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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37
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Mangan RJ, Alsina FC, Mosti F, Sotelo-Fonseca JE, Snellings DA, Au EH, Carvalho J, Sathyan L, Johnson GD, Reddy TE, Silver DL, Lowe CB. Adaptive sequence divergence forged new neurodevelopmental enhancers in humans. Cell 2022; 185:4587-4603.e23. [PMID: 36423581 PMCID: PMC10013929 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.10.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Revised: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Searches for the genetic underpinnings of uniquely human traits have focused on human-specific divergence in conserved genomic regions, which reflects adaptive modifications of existing functional elements. However, the study of conserved regions excludes functional elements that descended from previously neutral regions. Here, we demonstrate that the fastest-evolved regions of the human genome, which we term "human ancestor quickly evolved regions" (HAQERs), rapidly diverged in an episodic burst of directional positive selection prior to the human-Neanderthal split, before transitioning to constraint within hominins. HAQERs are enriched for bivalent chromatin states, particularly in gastrointestinal and neurodevelopmental tissues, and genetic variants linked to neurodevelopmental disease. We developed a multiplex, single-cell in vivo enhancer assay to discover that rapid sequence divergence in HAQERs generated hominin-unique enhancers in the developing cerebral cortex. We propose that a lack of pleiotropic constraints and elevated mutation rates poised HAQERs for rapid adaptation and subsequent susceptibility to disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riley J Mangan
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Fernando C Alsina
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Federica Mosti
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | | | - Daniel A Snellings
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Eric H Au
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Juliana Carvalho
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Laya Sathyan
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Graham D Johnson
- Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27705, USA; Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Timothy E Reddy
- Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27705, USA; Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Debra L Silver
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Duke Institute for Brain Sciences and Duke Regeneration Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Departments of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Craig B Lowe
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27705, USA.
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38
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Duński E, Pękowska A. Keeping the balance: Trade-offs between human brain evolution, autism, and schizophrenia. Front Genet 2022; 13:1009390. [DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.1009390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The unique qualities of the human brain are a product of a complex evolutionary process. Evolution, famously described by François Jacob as a “tinkerer,” builds upon existing genetic elements by modifying and repurposing them for new functions. Genetic changes in DNA may lead to the emergence of new genes or cause altered gene expression patterns. Both gene and regulatory element mutations may lead to new functions. Yet, this process may lead to side-effects. An evolutionary trade-off occurs when an otherwise beneficial change, which is important for evolutionary success and is under strong positive selection, concurrently results in a detrimental change in another trait. Pleiotropy occurs when a gene affects multiple traits. Antagonistic pleiotropy is a phenomenon whereby a genetic variant leads to an increase in fitness at one life-stage or in a specific environment, but simultaneously decreases fitness in another respect. Therefore, it is conceivable that the molecular underpinnings of evolution of highly complex traits, including brain size or cognitive ability, under certain conditions could result in deleterious effects, which would increase the susceptibility to psychiatric or neurodevelopmental diseases. Here, we discuss possible trade-offs and antagonistic pleiotropies between evolutionary change in a gene sequence, dosage or activity and the susceptibility of individuals to autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia. We present current knowledge about genes and alterations in gene regulatory landscapes, which have likely played a role in establishing human-specific traits and have been implicated in those diseases.
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39
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Linker SB, Narvaiza I, Hsu JY, Wang M, Qiu F, Mendes APD, Oefner R, Kottilil K, Sharma A, Randolph-Moore L, Mejia E, Santos R, Marchetto MC, Gage FH. Human-specific regulation of neural maturation identified by cross-primate transcriptomics. Curr Biol 2022; 32:4797-4807.e5. [PMID: 36228612 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.09.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Revised: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Unique aspects of human behavior are often attributed to differences in the relative size and organization of the human brain: these structural aspects originate during early development. Recent studies indicate that human neurodevelopment is considerably slower than that in other nonhuman primates, a finding that is termed neoteny. One aspect of neoteny is the slow onset of action potentials. However, which molecular mechanisms play a role in this process remain unclear. To examine the evolutionary constraints on the rate of neuronal maturation, we have generated transcriptional data tracking five time points, from the neural progenitor state to 8-week-old neurons, in primates spanning the catarrhine lineage, including Macaca mulatta, Gorilla gorilla, Pan paniscus, Pan troglodytes, and Homo sapiens. Despite finding an overall similarity of many transcriptional signatures, species-specific and clade-specific distinctions were observed. Among the genes that exhibited human-specific regulation, we identified a key pioneer transcription factor, GATA3, that was uniquely upregulated in humans during the neuronal maturation process. We further examined the regulatory nature of GATA3 in human cells and observed that downregulation quickened the speed of developing spontaneous action potentials, thereby modulating the human neotenic phenotype. These results provide evidence for the divergence of gene regulation as a key molecular mechanism underlying human neoteny.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara B Linker
- Laboratory of Genetics, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Iñigo Narvaiza
- Laboratory of Genetics, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Jonathan Y Hsu
- Laboratory of Genetics, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Meiyan Wang
- Laboratory of Genetics, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Fan Qiu
- Laboratory of Genetics, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Ana P D Mendes
- Laboratory of Genetics, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Ruth Oefner
- Laboratory of Genetics, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Kalyani Kottilil
- Laboratory of Genetics, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Amandeep Sharma
- Laboratory of Genetics, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Lynne Randolph-Moore
- Laboratory of Genetics, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Eunice Mejia
- Laboratory of Genetics, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Renata Santos
- Laboratory of Genetics, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Université Paris Cité, Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Paris (IPNP), INSERM U1266, Laboratory of Dynamics of Neuronal Structure in Health and Disease, 102 rue de la Santé, 75014 Paris, France; Institut des Sciences Biologiques, CNRS, 16 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Maria C Marchetto
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny (CARTA), University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
| | - Fred H Gage
- Laboratory of Genetics, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
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40
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Fischer J, Fernández Ortuño E, Marsoner F, Artioli A, Peters J, Namba T, Eugster Oegema C, Huttner WB, Ladewig J, Heide M. Human-specific ARHGAP11B ensures human-like basal progenitor levels in hominid cerebral organoids. EMBO Rep 2022; 23:e54728. [PMID: 36098218 PMCID: PMC9646322 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202254728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The human-specific gene ARHGAP11B has been implicated in human neocortex expansion. However, the extent of ARHGAP11B's contribution to this expansion during hominid evolution is unknown. Here we address this issue by genetic manipulation of ARHGAP11B levels and function in chimpanzee and human cerebral organoids. ARHGAP11B expression in chimpanzee cerebral organoids doubles basal progenitor levels, the class of cortical progenitors with a key role in neocortex expansion. Conversely, interference with ARHGAP11B's function in human cerebral organoids decreases basal progenitors down to the chimpanzee level. Moreover, ARHGAP11A or ARHGAP11B rescue experiments in ARHGAP11A plus ARHGAP11B double-knockout human forebrain organoids indicate that lack of ARHGAP11B, but not of ARHGAP11A, decreases the abundance of basal radial glia-the basal progenitor type thought to be of particular relevance for neocortex expansion. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that ARHGAP11B is necessary and sufficient to ensure the elevated basal progenitor levels that characterize the fetal human neocortex, suggesting that this human-specific gene was a major contributor to neocortex expansion during human evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Fischer
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and GeneticsPfotenhauerstrasse 108DresdenGermany
- Present address:
Institute for Clinical GeneticsUniversity Hospital Carl Gustav CarusDresdenGermany
| | | | - Fabio Marsoner
- Central Institute of Mental HealthUniversity of Heidelberg/Medical Faculty MannheimMannheimGermany
- Hector Institute for Translational Brain Research (HITBR gGmbH)MannheimGermany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)HeidelbergGermany
| | - Annasara Artioli
- Central Institute of Mental HealthUniversity of Heidelberg/Medical Faculty MannheimMannheimGermany
- Hector Institute for Translational Brain Research (HITBR gGmbH)MannheimGermany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)HeidelbergGermany
| | - Jula Peters
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and GeneticsPfotenhauerstrasse 108DresdenGermany
| | - Takashi Namba
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and GeneticsPfotenhauerstrasse 108DresdenGermany
- Present address:
Neuroscience Center, HiLIFE ‐ Helsinki Institute of Life ScienceUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
| | | | - Wieland B. Huttner
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and GeneticsPfotenhauerstrasse 108DresdenGermany
| | - Julia Ladewig
- Central Institute of Mental HealthUniversity of Heidelberg/Medical Faculty MannheimMannheimGermany
- Hector Institute for Translational Brain Research (HITBR gGmbH)MannheimGermany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)HeidelbergGermany
| | - Michael Heide
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and GeneticsPfotenhauerstrasse 108DresdenGermany
- German Primate CenterLeibniz Institute for Primate ResearchGöttingenGermany
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41
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Ding J, Pollen AA. Filling an ARHGAP in our knowledge of human brain evolution. EMBO Rep 2022; 23:e56076. [PMID: 36161459 PMCID: PMC9638863 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202256076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The human cerebral cortex has tripled in size since our divergence from a common ancestor with chimpanzees. This cortical expansion is driven by the increased proliferative capacity of radial glia (RG), a neural progenitor cell (NPC) population that generates cortical neurons. RG along the ventricular zone (VZ) produce neurons and also give rise to basal progenitors (BPs), which migrate to the embryonic subventricular zone (SVZ). Comparative studies suggest that the increased proliferative capacity of human NPCs involves cell-intrinsic mechanisms (Otani et al, 2016), and a number of human-specific genetic changes have recently been linked to NPC proliferation. In particular, overexpression studies in model organisms indicate that the human-specific gene ARHGAP11B is sufficient to increase BP abundance when introduced into the developing brain of non-human model organisms (Florio et al, 2015; Kalebic et al, 2018; Heide et al, 2020). However, studying human-specific mutations in a hominid genetic and developmental context, rather than in more divergent model organisms, could provide further insight into the evolutionary consequences and effect size of human mutations. Fischer et al (2022) now developed a novel organoid electroporation technique to establish the necessity and sufficiency of ARHGAP11B for BP proliferation in cells from humans and our closest living relative, chimpanzees (Fig 1).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingwen Ding
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell ResearchUniversity of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoCAUSA
- Department of NeurologyUniversity of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoCAUSA
| | - Alex A Pollen
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell ResearchUniversity of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoCAUSA
- Department of NeurologyUniversity of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoCAUSA
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42
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Galakhova AA, Hunt S, Wilbers R, Heyer DB, de Kock CPJ, Mansvelder HD, Goriounova NA. Evolution of cortical neurons supporting human cognition. Trends Cogn Sci 2022; 26:909-922. [PMID: 36117080 PMCID: PMC9561064 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2022.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Human cognitive abilities are generally thought to arise from cortical expansion over the course of human brain evolution. In addition to increased neuron numbers, this cortical expansion might be driven by adaptations in the properties of single neurons and their local circuits. We review recent findings on the distinct structural, functional, and transcriptomic features of human cortical neurons and their organization in cortical microstructure. We focus on the supragranular cortical layers, which showed the most prominent expansion during human brain evolution, and the properties of their principal cells: pyramidal neurons. We argue that the evolutionary adaptations in neuronal features that accompany the expansion of the human cortex partially underlie interindividual variability in human cognitive abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- A A Galakhova
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research (CNCR), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam 1081 HV, The Netherlands
| | - S Hunt
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research (CNCR), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam 1081 HV, The Netherlands
| | - R Wilbers
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research (CNCR), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam 1081 HV, The Netherlands
| | - D B Heyer
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research (CNCR), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam 1081 HV, The Netherlands
| | - C P J de Kock
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research (CNCR), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam 1081 HV, The Netherlands
| | - H D Mansvelder
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research (CNCR), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam 1081 HV, The Netherlands
| | - N A Goriounova
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research (CNCR), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam 1081 HV, The Netherlands.
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43
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Massimo M, Long KR. Orchestrating human neocortex development across the scales; from micro to macro. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2022; 130:24-36. [PMID: 34583893 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2021.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2021] [Revised: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
How our brains have developed to perform the many complex functions that make us human has long remained a question of great interest. Over the last few decades, many scientists from a wide range of fields have tried to answer this question by aiming to uncover the mechanisms that regulate the development of the human neocortex. They have approached this on different scales, focusing microscopically on individual cells all the way up to macroscopically imaging entire brains within living patients. In this review we will summarise these key findings and how they fit together.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Massimo
- Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, United Kingdom; MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, United Kingdom
| | - Katherine R Long
- Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, United Kingdom; MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, United Kingdom.
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44
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Fischer J, Fernández Ortuño E, Marsoner F, Artioli A, Peters J, Namba T, Eugster Oegema C, Huttner WB, Ladewig J, Heide M. Human-specific ARHGAP11B ensures human-like basal progenitor levels in hominid cerebral organoids. EMBO Rep 2022; 23:e54728. [PMID: 36381990 PMCID: PMC9646322 DOI: 10.1101/2020.10.01.322792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The human-specific gene ARHGAP11B has been implicated in human neocortex expansion. However, the extent of ARHGAP11B's contribution to this expansion during hominid evolution is unknown. Here we address this issue by genetic manipulation of ARHGAP11B levels and function in chimpanzee and human cerebral organoids. ARHGAP11B expression in chimpanzee cerebral organoids doubles basal progenitor levels, the class of cortical progenitors with a key role in neocortex expansion. Conversely, interference with ARHGAP11B's function in human cerebral organoids decreases basal progenitors down to the chimpanzee level. Moreover, ARHGAP11A or ARHGAP11B rescue experiments in ARHGAP11A plus ARHGAP11B double-knockout human forebrain organoids indicate that lack of ARHGAP11B, but not of ARHGAP11A, decreases the abundance of basal radial glia - the basal progenitor type thought to be of particular relevance for neocortex expansion. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that ARHGAP11B is necessary and sufficient to ensure the elevated basal progenitor levels that characterize the fetal human neocortex, suggesting that this human-specific gene was a major contributor to neocortex expansion during human evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Fischer
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and GeneticsPfotenhauerstrasse 108DresdenGermany
- Present address:
Institute for Clinical GeneticsUniversity Hospital Carl Gustav CarusDresdenGermany
| | | | - Fabio Marsoner
- Central Institute of Mental HealthUniversity of Heidelberg/Medical Faculty MannheimMannheimGermany
- Hector Institute for Translational Brain Research (HITBR gGmbH)MannheimGermany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)HeidelbergGermany
| | - Annasara Artioli
- Central Institute of Mental HealthUniversity of Heidelberg/Medical Faculty MannheimMannheimGermany
- Hector Institute for Translational Brain Research (HITBR gGmbH)MannheimGermany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)HeidelbergGermany
| | - Jula Peters
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and GeneticsPfotenhauerstrasse 108DresdenGermany
| | - Takashi Namba
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and GeneticsPfotenhauerstrasse 108DresdenGermany
- Present address:
Neuroscience Center, HiLIFE ‐ Helsinki Institute of Life ScienceUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
| | | | - Wieland B. Huttner
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and GeneticsPfotenhauerstrasse 108DresdenGermany
| | - Julia Ladewig
- Central Institute of Mental HealthUniversity of Heidelberg/Medical Faculty MannheimMannheimGermany
- Hector Institute for Translational Brain Research (HITBR gGmbH)MannheimGermany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)HeidelbergGermany
| | - Michael Heide
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and GeneticsPfotenhauerstrasse 108DresdenGermany
- German Primate CenterLeibniz Institute for Primate ResearchGöttingenGermany
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45
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Pinson A, Xing L, Namba T, Kalebic N, Peters J, Oegema CE, Traikov S, Reppe K, Riesenberg S, Maricic T, Derihaci R, Wimberger P, Pääbo S, Huttner WB. Human TKTL1 implies greater neurogenesis in frontal neocortex of modern humans than Neanderthals. Science 2022; 377:eabl6422. [PMID: 36074851 DOI: 10.1126/science.abl6422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Neanderthal brains were similar in size to those of modern humans. We sought to investigate potential differences in neurogenesis during neocortex development. Modern human transketolase-like 1 (TKTL1) differs from Neanderthal TKTL1 by a lysine-to-arginine amino acid substitution. Using overexpression in developing mouse and ferret neocortex, knockout in fetal human neocortical tissue, and genome-edited cerebral organoids, we found that the modern human variant, hTKTL1, but not the Neanderthal variant, increases the abundance of basal radial glia (bRG) but not that of intermediate progenitors (bIPs). bRG generate more neocortical neurons than bIPs. The hTKTL1 effect requires the pentose phosphate pathway and fatty acid synthesis. Inhibition of these metabolic pathways reduces bRG abundance in fetal human neocortical tissue. Our data suggest that neocortical neurogenesis in modern humans differs from that in Neanderthals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anneline Pinson
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Lei Xing
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Takashi Namba
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Nereo Kalebic
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Jula Peters
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | | | - Sofia Traikov
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Katrin Reppe
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Stephan Riesenberg
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Tomislav Maricic
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Razvan Derihaci
- Technische Universität Dresden, Universitätsklinikum Carl Gustav Carus, Klinik und Poliklinik für Frauenheilkunde und Geburtshilfe, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Pauline Wimberger
- Technische Universität Dresden, Universitätsklinikum Carl Gustav Carus, Klinik und Poliklinik für Frauenheilkunde und Geburtshilfe, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Svante Pääbo
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Wieland B Huttner
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307 Dresden, Germany
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46
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Espinós A, Fernández‐Ortuño E, Negri E, Borrell V. Evolution of genetic mechanisms regulating cortical neurogenesis. Dev Neurobiol 2022; 82:428-453. [PMID: 35670518 PMCID: PMC9543202 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The size of the cerebral cortex increases dramatically across amniotes, from reptiles to great apes. This is primarily due to different numbers of neurons and glial cells produced during embryonic development. The evolutionary expansion of cortical neurogenesis was linked to changes in neural stem and progenitor cells, which acquired increased capacity of self‐amplification and neuron production. Evolution works via changes in the genome, and recent studies have identified a small number of new genes that emerged in the recent human and primate lineages, promoting cortical progenitor proliferation and increased neurogenesis. However, most of the mammalian genome corresponds to noncoding DNA that contains gene‐regulatory elements, and recent evidence precisely points at changes in expression levels of conserved genes as key in the evolution of cortical neurogenesis. Here, we provide an overview of basic cellular mechanisms involved in cortical neurogenesis across amniotes, and discuss recent progress on genetic mechanisms that may have changed during evolution, including gene expression regulation, leading to the expansion of the cerebral cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Espinós
- Instituto de Neurociencias CSIC ‐ UMH, 03550 Sant Joan d'Alacant Spain
| | | | - Enrico Negri
- Instituto de Neurociencias CSIC ‐ UMH, 03550 Sant Joan d'Alacant Spain
| | - Víctor Borrell
- Instituto de Neurociencias CSIC ‐ UMH, 03550 Sant Joan d'Alacant Spain
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Brain Organization and Human Diseases. Cells 2022; 11:cells11101642. [PMID: 35626679 PMCID: PMC9139716 DOI: 10.3390/cells11101642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Revised: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The cortex is a highly organized structure that develops from the caudal regions of the segmented neural tube. Its spatial organization sets the stage for future functional arealization. Here, we suggest using a developmental perspective to describe and understand the etiology of common cortical malformations and their manifestation in the human brain.
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Mora-Bermúdez F, Huttner WB. What Are the Human-Specific Aspects of Neocortex Development? Front Neurosci 2022; 16:878950. [PMID: 35495057 PMCID: PMC9047014 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.878950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
When considering what makes us human, the development of the neocortex, the seat of our higher cognitive abilities, is of central importance. Throughout this complex developmental process, neocortical stem and progenitor cells (NSPCs) exert a priming role in determining neocortical tissue fate, through a series of cellular and molecular events. In this Perspective article, we address five questions of relevance for potentially human-specific aspects of NSPCs, (i) Are there human-specific NSPC subtypes? (ii) What is the functional significance of the known temporal differences in NSPC dynamics between human and other great apes? (iii) Are there functional interactions between the human-specific genes preferentially expressed in NSPCs? (iv) Do humans amplify certain metabolic pathways for NSPC proliferation? and finally (v) Have differences evolved during human evolution, notably between modern humans and Neandertals, that affect the performance of key genes operating in NSPCs? We discuss potential implications inherent to these questions, and suggest experimental approaches on how to answer them, hoping to provide incentives to further understand key issues of human cortical development.
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Shinmyo Y, Hamabe-Horiike T, Saito K, Kawasaki H. Investigation of the Mechanisms Underlying the Development and Evolution of the Cerebral Cortex Using Gyrencephalic Ferrets. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:847159. [PMID: 35386196 PMCID: PMC8977464 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.847159] [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: 01/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The mammalian cerebral cortex has changed significantly during evolution. As a result of the increase in the number of neurons and glial cells in the cerebral cortex, its size has markedly expanded. Moreover, folds, called gyri and sulci, appeared on its surface, and its neuronal circuits have become much more complicated. Although these changes during evolution are considered to have been crucial for the acquisition of higher brain functions, the mechanisms underlying the development and evolution of the cerebral cortex of mammals are still unclear. This is, at least partially, because it is difficult to investigate these mechanisms using mice only. Therefore, genetic manipulation techniques for the cerebral cortex of gyrencephalic carnivore ferrets were developed recently. Furthermore, gene knockout was achieved in the ferret cerebral cortex using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. These techniques enabled molecular investigations using the ferret cerebral cortex. In this review, we will summarize recent findings regarding the mechanisms underlying the development and evolution of the mammalian cerebral cortex, mainly focusing on research using ferrets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yohei Shinmyo
- Department of Medical Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Toshihide Hamabe-Horiike
- Department of Medical Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Kengo Saito
- Department of Medical Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Kawasaki
- Department of Medical Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
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Lié O, Renault S, Augé-Gouillou C. SETMAR, a case of primate co-opted genes: towards new perspectives. Mob DNA 2022; 13:9. [PMID: 35395947 PMCID: PMC8994322 DOI: 10.1186/s13100-022-00267-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND We carry out a review of the history and biological activities of one domesticated gene in higher primates, SETMAR, by discussing current controversies. Our purpose is to open a new outlook that will serve as a framework for future work about SETMAR, possibly in the field of cognition development. MAIN BODY What is newly important about SETMAR can be summarized as follows: (1) the whole protein sequence is under strong purifying pressure; (2) its role is to strengthen existing biological functions rather than to provide new ones; (3) it displays a tissue-specific pattern of expression, at least for the alternative-splicing it undergoes. Studies reported here demonstrate that SETMAR protein(s) may be involved in essential networks regulating replication, transcription and translation. Moreover, during embryogenesis, SETMAR appears to contribute to brain development. SHORT CONCLUSION Our review underlines for the first time that SETMAR directly interacts with genes involved in brain functions related to vocalization and vocal learning. These findings pave the way for future works regarding SETMAR and the development of cognitive abilities in higher primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oriane Lié
- UMR 1253, iBrain, Université de Tours, Inserm, Tours, France.,iBrain, Team Neurogenomics and Neuronal physiopathology, Faculty of Medicine, 10 Bd Tonnellé, Cedex 1, 37032, Tours, France
| | - Sylvaine Renault
- UMR 1253, iBrain, Université de Tours, Inserm, Tours, France.,iBrain, Team Neurogenomics and Neuronal physiopathology, Faculty of Medicine, 10 Bd Tonnellé, Cedex 1, 37032, Tours, France
| | - Corinne Augé-Gouillou
- UMR 1253, iBrain, Université de Tours, Inserm, Tours, France. .,iBrain, Team Neurogenomics and Neuronal physiopathology, Faculty of Medicine, 10 Bd Tonnellé, Cedex 1, 37032, Tours, France.
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