Unraveling the cellular and molecular characteristics of human prefrontal cortex (PFC) development is crucial for understanding human cognitive abilities and vulnerability to neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders. Here, in this study, we created a comparative repository for gene expression, chromatin accessibility and spatial transcriptomics of human and macaque postnatal PFC development at single-cell resolution. Integrative analyses outlined species-specific dynamic trajectories of different cell types, highlighting key windows and gene regulatory networks for processes such as synaptogenesis, synaptic pruning and gliogenesis. We identified regulatory correlates of the prolonged development of human PFC relative to macaques. Glial progenitors showed higher proliferation capability in humans compared to macaques, associated with distinct gene expression profiles. Furthermore, we uncovered cell types and lineages most susceptible t­ o n­ euro­ developmental a­ nd n­ eu­ ro­ ps­ yc­ hi­ atric disorders, focusing on transcription factors with human-specific expression features. In summary, our discoveries shed light on human-specific regulatory programs extending postnatal cortical maturation through coordinated neuronal and glial development, with implications for cognition and neurodevelopmental disorders.

References:

• Zhang J, Li M, Wang M, et al. Single-cell spatiotemporal transcriptomic and chromatin accessibility profiling in developing postnatal human and macaque prefrontal cortex[J]. Nature Neuroscience, 2026, 29(3): 746-758.

前往小宇宙评论区与主播互动