They then compared the genes that are active in the various cell types and were able to identify 56 genes that play a role in brain development.
“We noticed that ARHGAP11B is especially active in basal brain stem cells. These cells are really important for the expansion of the neocortex during evolution,” said Marta Florio, a PhD student at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics and the first author of the paper published in the journal Science.
The researchers then focused on the function of ARHGAP11B. They suspected that if it was responsible for a bigger pool of brain stem cells in humans and thereby for an expanded cerebrum, then it should trigger a similar development in the smaller brain of a mouse.
They introduced it into mice embryos and under its influence the mice produced significantly more brain stem cells and in half of all cases even a folding of the neocortex, which is typical for human brains.
“All these results suggest that the gene ARHGAP11B plays a key role in the evolutionary expansion of the human neocortex,” the scientists said.
“ARHGAP11B is the first human-specific gene where we could show that it contributes to the pool of basal brain stem cells and can trigger a folding of the neocortex. In that way, we managed to take the next step in tracing evolution,” Dr Huttner said.
They then compared the genes that are active in the various cell types and were able to identify 56 genes that play a role in brain development.“We noticed that ARHGAP11B is especially active in basal brain stem cells. These cells are really important for the expansion of the neocortex during evolution,” said Marta Florio, a PhD student at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics and the first author of the paper published in the journal Science.The researchers then focused on the function of ARHGAP11B. They suspected that if it was responsible for a bigger pool of brain stem cells in humans and thereby for an expanded cerebrum, then it should trigger a similar development in the smaller brain of a mouse.They introduced it into mice embryos and under its influence the mice produced significantly more brain stem cells and in half of all cases even a folding of the neocortex, which is typical for human brains.“All these results suggest that the gene ARHGAP11B plays a key role in the evolutionary expansion of the human neocortex,” the scientists said.“ARHGAP11B is the first human-specific gene where we could show that it contributes to the pool of basal brain stem cells and can trigger a folding of the neocortex. In that way, we managed to take the next step in tracing evolution,” Dr Huttner said.
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