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0This research article presents a comprehensive three-dimensional molecular atlas of the adult lamprey brain, created by combining spatial transcriptomics and single-nucleus RNA sequencing. By mapping over 200 distinct cell populations across 14 brain regions, the study establishes a foundational blueprint of the ancestral vertebrate brain. Cross-species comparisons with mammals, birds, and reptiles reveal that while basic brain architecture is deeply conserved, modern brains evolved through intense neuronal specialization and spatial reorganization. A key finding suggests that the cellular framework for the cerebellum existed in jawless vertebrates long before the structure fully developed in later lineages. These results highlight how the expansion of gene families drove the functional diversification of the vertebrate nervous system over 450 million years. The study ultimately clarifies the transition from unspecialized ancestral neural networks to the complex, segregated circuits found in modern species.、
References:
Wu H, Chen D, Li J, et al. Lamprey 3D single-cell transcriptomics reveals ancestral and specialized features of the vertebrate brain[J]. Science, 2026, 392(6804): eaea2535.
