Of mice and men: Dendritic architecture differentiates human from mouse neuronal networks
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The organizational principles that distinguish the human brain from other species have been a long-standing enigma in neuroscience. Focusing on the uniquely evolved human cortical layers 2 and 3, we computationally reconstruct the cortical architecture for mice and humans. Human neurons form highly complex networks demonstrated by their increased number and simplex dimension compared to mice. This is surprising because human pyramidal cells are much sparser. The number and size of neurons cannot account for this increased network complexity, suggesting that another morphological property is a key determinant of network connectivity. The topological comparison of the dendritic structure reveals higher perisomatic density in human pyramidal cells. We quantitatively show that this neuronal structural property directly impacts network complexity, including the formation of a rich subnetwork structure. Therefore, greater dendritic complexity, a defining attribute of human pyramidal cells, may provide the human cortex with enhanced computational capacity and cognitive flexibility.
Source: iScience
Authors: Lida Kanari, Ying Shi, Alexis Arnaudon, Natalí Barros-Zulaica, Ruth Benavides-Piccione, Jay S. Coggan, Javier DeFelipe, Kathryn Hess, Huib D. Mansvelder, Eline J. Mertens, Julie Meystre, Rodrigo de Campos Perin, Maurizio Pezzoli, Roy Thomas Daniel, Ron Stoop, Idan Segev, Henry Markram, Christiaan P.J. de Kock
Language: English
Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,240
Funders: National Science Foundation, Gatsby Charitable Foundation, European Commission, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung, Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Stiftung Synapsis - Alzheimer Forschung Schweiz AFS, Board of the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology, National Institutes of Health, Horizon 2020 Framework Programme, European Research Council, Agencia Estatal de Investigación, Office of Naval Research, National Institute of Mental Health
Awards: G1175115578, G1611198438, BRAINSCAPES: A Roadmap from Neurogenetics to Neurobiology, G1860685279, G210041235, G2262748287, G2486599622, G2601397997, G300979063, G3156314389, G34346518, G3480869486, G3669139304, G3681454997, G3936970252, G4042783231, G4199552044, G425668148, G434337789, G4910581630, G506232429, G5080475149, G5195188938, G5225340118, Interactions between endocannabinoid and oxytocin signaling in a Nlgn3 transgenic rat model for autism, In vitro and in vivo effects on the fear response of optogenetically induced oxytocin release in the central amygdala, G6053691832, G7084143925, The Role Of The Basolateral Amygdala (BLA) – Prefrontal Cortex (PFC) Axis In Social Cognition Hierarchy And Collaboration:A Cross-Species Approach, G751615522, VLSI-Systeme mit optischen Verbindungen - Vorstudie der technologischen Machbarkeit -, A Translational Model for the Role of the Amygdala in Fear Behavior, G8205758585, Human Brain Project Specific Grant Agreement 3, G9000258375, Functionally guided adult whole brain cell atlas in human and NHP
OpenAlex ID: W4411399287