Comparative connectomics of two distantly related nematode species reveals patterns of nervous system evolution.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 40743352.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1126/science.adx2143 and PMC identifier 12330220.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Understanding the evolution of the bilaterian brain requires a detailed exploration of the precise nature of cellular and subcellular differences between related species. We undertook an electron micrographic reconstruction of the brain of the predatory nematode <i>Pristionchus pacificus</i> and compared the results with the brain of <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i>, which diverged at least 100 million years ago. We revealed changes in neuronal cell death, neuronal cell position, axodendritic projection patterns, and synaptic connectivity of homologous neurons that display no obvious changes in overall neurite morphology and projection patterns. These multiscale patterns of evolutionary changes show no bias to specific brain regions or neuron types.
Medical subject headings
- Biological Evolution
- Brain
- Caenorhabditis elegans
- Connectome
- Rhabditida
- Behavior, Animal