Event

Killam Seminar Series: Human-Specific Modifiers of Cortical Circuits Evolution

Tuesday, November 12, 2024 16:00to17:00
Montreal Neurological Institute de Grandpre Communications Centre, 3801 rue University, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, CA

Supported by the generosity of the Killam Trusts, The Neuro's Killam Seminar Series invites outstanding guest speakers whose research is of interest to the scientific community at The Neuro and McGill University.


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Franck Polleux

Professor of Neuroscience, Columbia University

Host: eric.shoubridge [at] mcgill.ca (Eric Shoubridge )

Abstract: Two of the most striking distinguishing features of human cortical pyramidal neurons (CPNs) are: (1) human CPNs receive significantly more excitatory and inhibitory synapses than any other mammalian species including non-human primates and (2) synaptic development is strikingly neotenic in humans, taking years to reach maturation compared to weeks or months in other mammalian species. Our lab identified two human-specific gene duplications called SRGAP2B/C which, by inhibiting all known functions of the post-synaptic ancestral protein SRGAP2A, leads to slower (neotenic) rates of excitatory (E) and inhibitory (I) synaptic maturation and increased E and I synapse number. We also demonstrated that this increased density of E synapses in layer 2/3 cortical pyramidal neurons (CPNs) originates from increased cortico-cortical connections, leading to changes in the coding properties of these neurons in vivo and improved behavioral performance in a sensory discrimination task in mice humanized for SRGAP2C expression. I will summarize recent results demonstrating (1) the function of human-specific genes SRGAP2B/C as critical modifiers of synaptic development in human neurons using xenotransplantation and (2) that SRGAP2B/C also act as human-specific disease modifiers in the context of neurodevelopmental disorders.

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The Neuro (Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital) is a bilingual academic healthcare institution. We are a McGill research and teaching institute; delivering high-quality patient care, as part of the Neuroscience Mission of the McGill University Health Centre. We are proud to be a Killam Institution, supported by the Killam Trusts.

 

 

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