Isochronic development of cortical synapses in primates and mice
Abstract The neotenous, or delayed, development of primate neurons, particularly human ones, is thought to underlie primate-specific abilities like cognition. We tested whether synaptic development follows suit—would synapses, in absolute time, develop slower in longer-lived, highly cognitive specie...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-43088-3 |
| _version_ | 1797397882568966144 |
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| author | Gregg Wildenberg Hanyu Li Vandana Sampathkumar Anastasia Sorokina Narayanan Kasthuri |
| author_facet | Gregg Wildenberg Hanyu Li Vandana Sampathkumar Anastasia Sorokina Narayanan Kasthuri |
| author_sort | Gregg Wildenberg |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The neotenous, or delayed, development of primate neurons, particularly human ones, is thought to underlie primate-specific abilities like cognition. We tested whether synaptic development follows suit—would synapses, in absolute time, develop slower in longer-lived, highly cognitive species like non-human primates than in shorter-lived species with less human-like cognitive abilities, e.g., the mouse? Instead, we find that excitatory and inhibitory synapses in the male Mus musculus (mouse) and Rhesus macaque (primate) cortex form at similar rates, at similar times after birth. Primate excitatory and inhibitory synapses and mouse excitatory synapses also prune in such an isochronic fashion. Mouse inhibitory synapses are the lone exception, which are not pruned and instead continuously added throughout life. The monotony of synaptic development clocks across species with disparate lifespans, experiences, and cognitive abilities argues that such programs are likely orchestrated by genetic events rather than experience. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T01:16:38Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7d42955808934e489f229d8857be2d07 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T01:16:38Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj.art-7d42955808934e489f229d8857be2d072023-12-10T12:25:17ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232023-12-0114111310.1038/s41467-023-43088-3Isochronic development of cortical synapses in primates and miceGregg Wildenberg0Hanyu Li1Vandana Sampathkumar2Anastasia Sorokina3Narayanan Kasthuri4Department of Neurobiology, The University of ChicagoDepartment of Neurobiology, The University of ChicagoDepartment of Neurobiology, The University of ChicagoDepartment of Neurobiology, The University of ChicagoDepartment of Neurobiology, The University of ChicagoAbstract The neotenous, or delayed, development of primate neurons, particularly human ones, is thought to underlie primate-specific abilities like cognition. We tested whether synaptic development follows suit—would synapses, in absolute time, develop slower in longer-lived, highly cognitive species like non-human primates than in shorter-lived species with less human-like cognitive abilities, e.g., the mouse? Instead, we find that excitatory and inhibitory synapses in the male Mus musculus (mouse) and Rhesus macaque (primate) cortex form at similar rates, at similar times after birth. Primate excitatory and inhibitory synapses and mouse excitatory synapses also prune in such an isochronic fashion. Mouse inhibitory synapses are the lone exception, which are not pruned and instead continuously added throughout life. The monotony of synaptic development clocks across species with disparate lifespans, experiences, and cognitive abilities argues that such programs are likely orchestrated by genetic events rather than experience.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-43088-3 |
| spellingShingle | Gregg Wildenberg Hanyu Li Vandana Sampathkumar Anastasia Sorokina Narayanan Kasthuri Isochronic development of cortical synapses in primates and mice Nature Communications |
| title | Isochronic development of cortical synapses in primates and mice |
| title_full | Isochronic development of cortical synapses in primates and mice |
| title_fullStr | Isochronic development of cortical synapses in primates and mice |
| title_full_unstemmed | Isochronic development of cortical synapses in primates and mice |
| title_short | Isochronic development of cortical synapses in primates and mice |
| title_sort | isochronic development of cortical synapses in primates and mice |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-43088-3 |
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