Combined analysis of cytoarchitectonic, molecular and transcriptomic patterns reveal differences in brain organization across human functional brain systems

NeuroImage, vol. 257, pp. 119286

Abstract

Brain areas show specific cellular, molecular, and gene expression patterns that are linked to function, but their precise relationships are largely unknown. To unravel these structure-function relationships, a combined analysis of 53 neurotransmitter receptor genes, receptor densities of six transmitter systems and cytoarchitectonic data of the auditory, somatosensory, visual, motor systems was conducted. Besides covariation of areal gene expression with receptor density, the study reveals specific gene expression patterns in functional systems, which are most prominent for the inhibitory GABAA and excitatory glutamatergic NMDA receptors. Furthermore, gene expression-receptor relationships changed in a systematic manner according to information flow from primary to higher associative areas. The findings shed new light on the relationship of anatomical, functional, and molecular and transcriptomic principles of cortical segregation towards a more comprehensive understanding of human brain organization.

Authors 5

1. Daniel Zachlod corresponding

   Forschungszentrum Jülich

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Neurosciences and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany. Electronic address: d.zachlod@fz-juelich.de

   Institute of Neurosciences and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany

2. Sebastian Bludau

   Forschungszentrum Jülich

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Neurosciences and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany

3. Sven Cichon

   Forschungszentrum Jülich · University of Basel · University Hospital of Basel

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Neurosciences and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany; Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Institute of Medical Genetics and Pathology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland

   Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland

   Institute of Medical Genetics and Pathology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland

   Institute of Neurosciences and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany

4. Nicola Palomero‐Gallagher Aachen Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics Medical Faculty

   RWTH Aachen University · Forschungszentrum Jülich · Jülich Aachen Research Alliance · Düsseldorf University Hospital · Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Neurosciences and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany; C. & O. Vogt Institute for Brain Research, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany; Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen, and JARA - Translational Brain Medicine, Aachen, Germany

   C. & O. Vogt Institute for Brain Research, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany

   Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen, and JARA - Translational Brain Medicine, Aachen, Germany

   Institute of Neurosciences and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany

5. Katrin Amunts

   Forschungszentrum Jülich · Düsseldorf University Hospital · Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Neurosciences and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany; C. & O. Vogt Institute for Brain Research, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany

   C. & O. Vogt Institute for Brain Research, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany

   Institute of Neurosciences and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany