Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Eucharist Kun, Vagheesh M. Narasimhan
Summary: Scientists have mapped the regions of the human genome that rapidly evolved after the divergence of humans and chimpanzees. These regions contain unique genomic elements linked to neurodevelopment and disease.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jianguo Wang, Sidi Ma, Peijie Yu, Xionglei He
Summary: The human brain exhibits anatomical symmetry, but also possesses fine-scale structural asymmetries that contribute to distinct functional divisions. Previous studies suggested that these asymmetric structures are primate specific or unique to humans, indicating recent evolution of genes responsible for human brain asymmetry. In our study, we identified over 1,500 traits associated with human brain asymmetry and discovered approximately 200 genes that are predominantly upregulated in brain tissues. Surprisingly, these genes are evolutionarily ancient and show brain-specific upregulation in humans, indicating the role of ancient genes in shaping the structural asymmetry of the human brain over time.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
David A. Leopold
Summary: The human brain's motor cortex is traditionally seen as a linear map controlling different body parts. However, the discovery of additional functions suggests a different kind of mapping.
News Item
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Loic Yengo
Summary: An increased number of damaging variations in certain genes is linked to a higher chance of male infertility. A geneticist and an anthropologist discuss the implications and limitations of this finding.
Article
Psychology
Rowena Chin, Steve W. C. Chang, Avram J. Holmes
Summary: Human evolution is characterized by an increase in total brain volume relative to body size, particularly the expansion of association cortex. However, the majority of research on human brain evolution in the psychological sciences has focused solely on the cortex, neglecting the influence of other neural systems. This review challenges the mischaracterization of human cognition and behavior as a competition between recent cortical territories and ancient subcortical and cerebellar systems, proposing a comprehensive view of human brain evolution that has important implications for animal models, theory development, and network-focused approaches in studying behavior across health and disease.
PSYCHOLOGICAL REVIEW
(2023)
News Item
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Anil Oza
Summary: Experiments suggest that sleep doesn't completely disconnect you from the outside world as scientists had previously thought.
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Alexander Z. Harris, Nancy Padilla-Coreano
Summary: Dominant mice who are compelled to yield to subordinate mice in a manipulated test experience a loss of social status and miss out on pleasurable opportunities. These effects stem from alterations in a neuronal circuit associated with the brain's 'anti-reward' center.
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Oliver M. Gauld, Chunyu A. Duan
Summary: Neuronal signals from the midbrain to the cortex act as a switch that transforms cortical neuronal activity dynamics and initiates movement.
News Item
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ewen Callaway
Summary: A controversial analysis argues that most studies linking brain imaging features to traits like cognitive abilities are too small to be reliable.
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Richard Simerly, Ralph DiLeone
Summary: Artificially activating neurons in the cerebellum can reduce food intake in mice, which may have implications for studying appetite disorders.
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Miryam Naddaf
Summary: The Human Brain Project is coming to an end in September after a decade. Nature magazine examines its achievements and its troubled past.
Book Review
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Philip Ball
Summary: This article presents an informative guide that covers topics such as archaea, birds, primates, and more, with an excessive level of confidence.
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Christina N. Rogers N. Flattery, Munawwar Abdulla, Sophie A. A. Barton, Jenny M. M. Michlich, Lyudmila N. N. Trut, Anna V. V. Kukekova, Erin E. E. Hecht
Summary: The silver fox has the potential to be a powerful model for studying brain-behavior relationships. Through the Russian farm-fox experiment, different strains of the silver fox with divergent behavior have been bred, providing an excellent opportunity to investigate neuroanatomical changes underlying behavioral characteristics. The histological and MRI neuroanatomical reference of a fox from the conventional strain can be used for future studies and contribute to an understanding of fox brains and neuroanatomical variation among mammals.
BRAIN STRUCTURE & FUNCTION
(2023)
Article
Robotics
Leonardo Christov-Moore, Nicco Reggente, Anthony Vaccaro, Felix Schoeller, Brock Pluimer, Pamela K. Douglas, Marco Iacoboni, Kingson Man, Antonio Damasio, Jonas T. Kaplan
Summary: Given the accelerating powers of artificial intelligence (AI), it is essential to equip artificial agents and robots with empathy in order to prevent harmful and irreversible decisions. Existing approaches to artificial empathy mainly focus on cognitive or performative processes, neglecting affect, which can lead to sociopathic behaviors. Artificially vulnerable and fully empathic AI is necessary to prevent sociopathic robots and safeguard human well-being.
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Max S. Bennett
Summary: This article explores the milestone events in human brain evolution, introduces the concept of a "breakthrough" as a tool for explaining brain modifications and adaptive behaviors, and proposes unique hypotheses about the mechanisms of evolution.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROANATOMY
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Marissa Co, Stephanie L. Hickey, Ashwinikumar Kulkarni, Matthew Harper, Genevieve Konopka
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jessica Marie Perez, Stefano Berto, Kelly Gleason, Subroto Ghose, Chunfeng Tan, Tae-Kyung Kim, Genevieve Konopka, Carol A. Tamminga
Summary: The study demonstrates unique molecular changes in hippocampal subfields of individuals with schizophrenia, suggesting different biological functions in each subfield which may help identify potential hippocampal-based therapeutic targets for schizophrenia.
MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Nitin Khandelwal, Sheridan Cavalier, Volodymyr Rybalchenko, Ashwinikumar Kulkarni, Ashley G. Anderson, Genevieve Konopka, Jay R. Gibson
Summary: Heterozygous loss-of-function mutations in the transcription factor FOXP1 are strongly associated with autism and lead to increased intrinsic excitability in D2 SPNs. This hyperexcitability is mainly due to down-regulation of potassium currents, specifically K-IR and K-Leak. These findings suggest potential therapeutic strategies for autism forms associated with transcription factor dysfunction.
MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Stefano Berto, Miles R. Fontenot, Sarah Seger, Fatma Ayhan, Emre Caglayan, Ashwinikumar Kulkarni, Connor Douglas, Carol A. Tamminga, Bradley C. Lega, Genevieve Konopka
Summary: This study investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying memory formation through analyzing patient-specific brain oscillations and gene expression, revealing correlations between specific genes and oscillatory signatures of memory formation in different frequency bands. The study showed that these genes are associated with neuropsychiatric disorders and ion channel activity, and are enriched in excitatory and inhibitory neurons. The findings provide new insights into the genetic mechanisms that support memory encoding.
NATURE NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Bradley M. Colquitt, Devin P. Merullo, Genevieve Konopka, Todd F. Roberts, Michael S. Brainard
Summary: Research has shown that the vocal circuits in songbirds and the neocortex in mammals have distinct developmental origins, yet the neurons exhibit transcriptional similarities.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Lei Xiao, Devin P. Merullo, Therese M. Koch, Mou Cao, Marissa Co, Ashwinikumar Kulkarni, Genevieve Konopka, Todd F. Roberts
Summary: The disruption of the transcription factor FoxP2 in the basal ganglia impacts vocal development in humans and songbirds. FoxP2 expression in the basal ganglia is essential for the fluent initiation and termination of birdsong, as well as the maintenance of song syllable sequencing. Knockdown of FoxP2 leads to imbalanced dopamine receptor expression and disrupts vocal motor sequencing, implicating dopaminergic signaling in regulating song production.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Pin Xu, Stefano Berto, Ashwinikumar Kulkarni, Byeongha Jeong, Chryshanthi Joseph, Kimberly H. Cox, Michael E. Greenberg, Tae-Kyung Kim, Genevieve Konopka, Joseph S. Takahashi
Summary: The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in mammals is regulated by environmental light and shows responses to light through different peptidergic cell types. The study found that NPAS4 plays a critical role in normal transcriptional responses to light in the SCN, affecting circadian behavior and light-induced gene expression.
Article
Biology
Rene Solano Fonseca, Patrick Metang, Nathan Egge, Yingjian Liu, Kielen R. Zuurbier, Karthigayini Sivaprakasam, Shawn Shirazi, Ashleigh Chuah, Sonja L. B. Arneaud, Genevieve Konopka, Dong Qian, Peter M. Douglas
Summary: Concussion, a type of traumatic brain injury, can increase the risk of developing Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Studies suggest that different types of brain cells, including neurons and astrocytes, may be damaged during a concussion, with astrocytes potentially playing a protective role in preserving dopaminergic neurons. The balance of energy production and metabolism in brain cells, particularly in response to trauma, may be crucial in preventing cell death and neurodegeneration.
Review
Developmental Biology
Seon Hye E. Park, Ana K. Ortiz, Genevieve Konopka
Summary: This review summarizes the application of single-cell genomics techniques in studying neurodevelopment, focusing on cellular and molecular mechanisms governing cortical progenitor proliferation, cell lineage progression, neuronal specification, and arealization. Recent advances in epigenomic and posttranscriptional regulation of corticogenesis are also examined. The challenges and promising future applications of single cell technologies are discussed.
DEVELOPMENTAL NEUROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Stefano Berto, Alex H. Treacher, Emre Caglayan, Danni Luo, Jillian R. Haney, Michael J. Gandal, Daniel H. Geschwind, Albert A. Montillo, Genevieve Konopka
Summary: This study integrates gene expression data from brains of neurotypical individuals and individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data to identify disrupted brain expression patterns in individuals with ASD, particularly genes associated with voltage-gated ion channels and inhibitory neurons. The research also highlights differences in the developmental trajectory of certain genes in individuals with ASD compared to controls, and shows that the primary visual cortex is the most affected region in ASD.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Haley Moore, Bradley C. Lega, Genevieve Konopka
Summary: There has been limited research on the relationship between oscillations and gene expression, but recent progress has identified specific genes associated with oscillations related to episodic memory. The temporal pole, which is easily accessible during neurosurgical procedures, has been extensively studied. By utilizing this accessibility, researchers have been able to study gene expression and intracranial oscillatory data in the same human patients. Further exploration of other brain regions is needed to enhance our understanding of the genetic signatures of oscillations and human cognition.
CURRENT OPINION IN CELL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ashley G. Anderson, Ashwinikumar Kulkarni, Genevieve Konopka
Summary: This study integrates single-cell datasets from both embryonic and postnatal timepoints to analyze the developmental trajectory patterns and transcription factor regulatory networks within striatal cell types. It reveals that dopamine receptor-1 expressing spiny projection neurons have an extended period of transcriptional dynamics and greater transcriptional complexity over postnatal development.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Emre Caglayan, Fatma Ayhan, Yuxiang Liu, Rachael M. Vollmer, Emily Oh, Chet C. Sherwood, Todd M. Preuss, Soojin V. Yi, Genevieve Konopka
Summary: The unique functionalities of the human brain are contributed by human-specific genomic changes. The cellular heterogeneity and complex gene regulation of the human brain necessitate the characterization of human-specific molecular features at the cellular level. In this study, single-nucleus RNA sequencing and single-nucleus assay for transposase-accessible chromatin with sequencing were used to analyze human, chimpanzee, and rhesus macaque brain tissue, revealing an increase in human-specific oligodendrocyte progenitor cells and a decrease in mature oligodendrocytes across cortical tissues. The study also identified human-specific regulatory changes in neuronal subtypes and new human accelerated genomic regions associated with chromatin accessibility changes.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Seon Hye E. Park, Ashwinikumar Kulkarni, Genevieve Konopka
Summary: During cortical development, human basal radial glial cells (bRGCs) play a crucial role in self-renewal and neurogenesis. The expression of FOXP1 in bRGCs is associated with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) and impacts cortical progenitor proliferation and differentiation. The loss of FOXP1 leads to a reduction in the number of bRGCs and subsequently a decrease in excitatory cortical neurons.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Fatma Ayhan, Connor Douglas, Bradley C. Lega, Genevieve Konopka
Summary: Single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) has enabled profiling of human brain at a cellular level, but it is sensitive to factors such as tissue processing and quality. This protocol provides steps for isolating high-quality nuclei from human brain tissue, enabling unbiased analysis of various cell types.
