Connectivity of the adult human brain with sequential neurogenesis of circuits and transcriptomics signatures
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Understanding the architectural principles that shape human brain networks is a major challenge for systems neuroscience. We hypothesize that the centrality of the different brain circuits in the human connectome is a product of their embryogenic age, such that early-born nodes should become stronger hubs than those born later. Using a human brain segmentation based on embryogenic age, we observed that nodes’ structural centrality correlated with their embryogenic age, supporting our hypothesis. An opposite trend was found at functional level. The difference in embryonic age between nodes inversely correlated with the probability of existence of links and their weights. Brain transcriptomic analysis revealed strong associations between embryonic age, structure-function centrality, and the expression of genes related to nervous system development, synapse regulation and human neurological diseases. Our results highlight two key principles regarding the wiring of the human brain: older-get-richer rule, whereby earlier-born regions become network hubs, and a preferential-age-attachment rule, whereby regions preferentially connect to others with similar neurogenic timing. Understanding the architectural principles shape human brain networks is a major challenge for systems neuroscience. Here, authors show embryogenic age is associated with functional and structural brain architecture and that embryonic age gradients are associated with genes related to nervous system development and vulnerability to neurological disorders.
Source: Nature Communications
Institutions: Ikerbasque, Harvard University, Massachusetts General Hospital, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, University of the Basque Country, Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, Universidad de Cantabria, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Bari, University of Bari Aldo Moro, CIC bioGUNE, LUM Jean Monnet University, University of Bologna
Language: English
Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $6,990
Funders: University of Pittsburgh, Agence Nationale de la Recherche, Eusko Jaurlaritza, Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Ministerio de Asuntos Económicos y Transformación Digital, Gobierno de España, European Regional Development Fund, Agencia Estatal de Investigación, Berrikuntza + Ikerketa + Osasuna Eusko Fundazioa
Awards: G121809054, G1622782223, G1855990336, G1910015767, G2262748287, G2309174360, G2585926585, G2660406951, G2901546802, G300979063, G34346518, G3480869486, G3518538256, G4033406476, G4050148046, G410571670, G425668148, G430777504, G451917667, G4526231891, G464105488, G490073602, G5080475149, G5081097463, G5421974903, G5831609292, G586857820, G5943232429, G5967599077, G6087942492, G6731467812, G7084143925, G7221237739, G7369562667, G7576168252, G8235171841, G8762714071, G8920660035
OpenAlex ID: W7117740509