Conservation and alteration of mammalian striatal interneurons.

ABSTRACT: Mammalian brains vary in size, structure and function, but the extent to which evolutionarily novel cell types contribute to this variation remains unresolved^1-4. Previous studies suggest that there is a primate-specific population of striatal inhibitory interneurons-the TAC3 interneurons⁵. However, broader taxonomic and developmental characterization is required to address novelty in cell-type evolution. Here we examine gene expression in inhibitory neurons across 10 mammalian species, spanning 160 million years of divergence from primates. We find that the initial class of newborn TAC3 interneurons specified during development represents an ancestral, medial ganglionic eminence (MGE)-derived striatal population that is also present in pig and ferret cortex. This dis

SUBMITTER: Corrigan EK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12589139 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature