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Synaptic scaffold evolution generated components of vertebrate cognitive complexity.

Jess Nithianantharajah1, Noboru H Komiyama, Andrew McKechanie

  • 1Genes to Cognition Programme, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences and Centre for Neuroregeneration, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.

Nature Neuroscience
|December 4, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Genome duplication influenced vertebrate cognition evolution. Specific Dlg genes (Dlg2, Dlg3, Dlg4) show conserved roles in learning and attention, but mutations may increase psychiatric disorder risk.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • The evolutionary origins of complex cognitive functions in vertebrates remain largely unknown.
  • Genome duplication events in early vertebrate evolution are hypothesized to have played a role in cognitive complexity.
  • The specific genetic underpinnings of higher cognitive functions are not fully elucidated.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of the Dlg gene family in cognitive functions.
  • To explore the evolutionary conservation of Dlg gene functions in cognition across species.
  • To understand the link between Dlg gene evolution, cognitive complexity, and susceptibility to psychiatric disorders.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized computerized touchscreen tasks to assess cognitive functions in mice with Dlg paralog mutations.
  • Conducted comparative genetic analysis of Dlg gene family members.
  • Tested the translational utility of touchscreen assays by examining Dlg2 mutations in both mice and humans.

Main Results:

  • Simple associative learning was found to depend on Dlg4.
  • Dlg2 and Dlg3 paralogs evolved opposing functions in complex cognitive processes.
  • The role of Dlg2 in complex learning, cognitive flexibility, and attention is conserved between mice and humans over 100 million years.
  • Mutations in Dlg-family genes are associated with psychiatric disorders.

Conclusions:

  • Diversification of Dlg genes following genome duplication contributed to the evolution of vertebrate cognition.
  • Specific Dlg genes have specialized, conserved roles in complex cognitive functions.
  • The expansion of cognitive complexity through genome evolution may have come at the expense of increased susceptibility to mental illness.