美国罗格斯大学Avram J. Holmes和美国耶鲁大学Xi-Han Zhang共同合作，近期取得重要工作进展。他们研究提出了人类功能性皮层连接组的细胞类型基础。相关研究成果2024年11月21日在线发表于《自然—神经科学》杂志上。

据介绍，人脑的功能特性部分源于大脑皮层中大量的细胞类型。皮层片大致分为不同的网络，这些网络嵌入到处理流或梯度中，从单峰系统延伸到高阶关联区域。

研究人员使用来自Allen人脑图谱的微阵列数据，和来自多个皮质区域的单核RNA测序数据，证明了细胞类型分布与皮质的功能组织在空间上是耦合的，这是通过功能性磁共振成像估计的。

差异富集的细胞遵循功能梯度和相关大规模网络的空间地形。不同的细胞指纹在网络中很明显，经过死后细胞类型分布训练的分类器，能够预测皮质组织样本的功能网络忠诚度。

总之，这一研究数据表明，皮层片的体内组织反映在其细胞组成的空间变异性中。

附：英文原文

Title: The cell-type underpinnings of the human functional cortical connectome

Author: Zhang, Xi-Han, Anderson, Kevin M., Dong, Hao-Ming, Chopra, Sidhant, Dhamala, Elvisha, Emani, Prashant S., Gerstein, Mark B., Margulies, Daniel S., Holmes, Avram J.

Issue&Volume: 2024-11-21

Abstract: The functional properties of the human brain arise, in part, from the vast assortment of cell types that pattern the cerebral cortex. The cortical sheet can be broadly divided into distinct networks, which are embedded into processing streams, or gradients, that extend from unimodal systems through higher-order association territories. Here using microarray data from the Allen Human Brain Atlas and single-nucleus RNA-sequencing data from multiple cortical territories, we demonstrate that cell-type distributions are spatially coupled to the functional organization of cortex, as estimated through functional magnetic resonance imaging. Differentially enriched cells follow the spatial topography of both functional gradients and associated large-scale networks. Distinct cellular fingerprints were evident across networks, and a classifier trained on postmortem cell-type distributions was able to predict the functional network allegiance of cortical tissue samples. These data indicate that the in vivo organization of the cortical sheet is reflected in the spatial variability of its cellular composition.

DOI: 10.1038/s41593-024-01812-2

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41593-024-01812-2