Doctoral Dissertation Improvement: The evolution and genetic basis of primate brain cortical gyrification in a pedigreed Papio population

博士论文改进：纯种狒狒种群灵长类大脑皮层回旋的进化和遗传基础

• 批准号: 1260844
• 负责人: James Cheverud
• 金额: $ 3.04万
• 依托单位: Washington University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2013-02-01 至 2015-01-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1260844&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Doctoral; Dissertation; Improvement; evolution; genetic

Elevated cognition, related to the dramatic increase in brain volume, is a hallmark of the primates. Cognition is directly related to the number of neurons in the cerebral cortex and the connectivity network underlying information processing in the brain. Increased cortical folding (gyrification) allows for more neurons to be contained within the volume of the braincase and the arrangement of folds and ridges across the cerebral cortex is an indication of the underlying neural network connecting regions. This dissertation project by Elizabeth Atkinson (Washington University), under the supervision of Dr. James Cheverud, uses a pedigreed baboon population to assess the genetic basis and structure of cortical folding in primates. It then further investigates the genomic regions identified in baboons to determine the role of natural selection in altering the DNA sequence of genes across the primate family tree. Questions addressed include: Is the organizational structure of the cerebral cortex modular? Are brain regions that develop together in utero or work together throughout an organism's life also inherited together? How susceptible to developmental noise is the cerebral cortex? What chromosomal regions and genes affect variation in brain function and cortical traits? Is there evidence that genes affecting cortical traits have been selectively altered at an evolutionary scale? Overall, this project addresses critical questions in human and primate brain evolution, including the genetic architecture of brain morphology, differing cognitive strategies across the primate clade, and the evolutionary mechanisms responsible for their formation.In addition to addressing issues of the genetics of brain morphology and cognition in primates, this project also will involve mentoring undergraduates and local high school students from ethnicities and socioeconomic groups typically underrepresented in the sciences, teaching evolutionary concepts at inner-city St. Louis schools, furthering the efforts of a graduate student-run program for science outreach, and disseminating the notable findings from this project to other scientists at meetings and conferences. Participating in this project will further the scientific career and curriculum vitae of an underprivileged St. Louis high school student, mentored closely over the course of the summer of 2013, who otherwise would have few opportunities to engage in scientific research at this early point in their academic development.

认知能力的提高，与脑容量的急剧增加有关，是灵长类动物的一个标志。认知与大脑皮层中神经元的数量和大脑中信息处理的连接网络直接相关。增加的皮层折叠（回状化）允许更多的神经元被包含在脑组织的体积内，并且跨大脑皮层的折叠和脊的布置是底层神经网络连接区域的指示。在James Cheverud博士的指导下，由Elizabeth Atkinson（华盛顿大学）撰写的这篇论文项目使用纯种狒狒种群来评估灵长类动物皮质折叠的遗传基础和结构。然后，它进一步研究了狒狒中鉴定的基因组区域，以确定自然选择在改变灵长类家族树中基因的DNA序列中的作用。问题包括：大脑皮层的组织结构是模块化的吗？在子宫内一起发育或在生物体一生中一起工作的大脑区域也是一起遗传的吗？大脑皮层对发育噪音的敏感程度如何？哪些染色体区域和基因影响大脑功能和皮质特征的变化？是否有证据表明影响皮质特征的基因在进化过程中被选择性地改变了？总的来说，这个项目解决了人类和灵长类动物大脑进化中的关键问题，包括大脑形态的遗传结构，灵长类动物分支中不同的认知策略，以及负责它们形成的进化机制。除了解决灵长类动物大脑形态和认知的遗传学问题，该项目还将涉及指导本科生和当地高中生，这些学生来自通常在科学领域代表性不足的族裔和社会经济群体，在圣路易斯市中心的学校教授进化论概念，促进研究生运行的科学推广计划的努力，并在会议和会议上向其他科学家传播该项目的显着发现。参加这个项目将进一步的科学事业和一个贫困的圣路易斯高中学生的简历，在2013年夏天的过程中密切指导，否则将很少有机会在这个早期的学术发展点从事科学研究。