Sara Zeppilli
@sarazeppilli.bsky.social
Slow Development, Evolution, Cerebral Cortex.
Postdoc in the Arlotta lab at Harvard University | Formerly neuroscience PhD in the Fleischmann lab at Brown University | 🇮🇹🍝
Postdoc in the Arlotta lab at Harvard University | Formerly neuroscience PhD in the Fleischmann lab at Brown University | 🇮🇹🍝
A bit shut out to @cajal-training.bsky.social
July 12, 2025 at 4:40 PM
A bit shut out to @cajal-training.bsky.social
Yes, sorry! Link here: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Single-cell genomics of the mouse olfactory cortex reveals contrasts with neocortex and ancestral signatures of cell type evolution - Nature Neuroscience
This study uses single-cell sequencing to investigate the diversification of cortical cell types during evolution. Comparisons across brain regions and species identify molecular signatures of ancestr...
www.nature.com
April 11, 2025 at 11:57 AM
Yes, sorry! Link here: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Link to the paper, as the one above does not work: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Single-cell genomics of the mouse olfactory cortex reveals contrasts with neocortex and ancestral signatures of cell type evolution - Nature Neuroscience
This study uses single-cell sequencing to investigate the diversification of cortical cell types during evolution. Comparisons across brain regions and species identify molecular signatures of ancestr...
www.nature.com
April 11, 2025 at 11:55 AM
Link to the paper, as the one above does not work: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
15🧵This was an incredible efforts from all authors from the labs of Kimchi, Datta, Singh, Tosches, and Crombach!
@davidhbrann.bsky.social @alonso-ortegag.bsky.social @pinard.bsky.social @matosches.bsky.social
@harvardmed.bsky.social @columbiauniversity.bsky.social @brownuresearch.bsky.social
@davidhbrann.bsky.social @alonso-ortegag.bsky.social @pinard.bsky.social @matosches.bsky.social
@harvardmed.bsky.social @columbiauniversity.bsky.social @brownuresearch.bsky.social
April 8, 2025 at 8:18 PM
15🧵This was an incredible efforts from all authors from the labs of Kimchi, Datta, Singh, Tosches, and Crombach!
@davidhbrann.bsky.social @alonso-ortegag.bsky.social @pinard.bsky.social @matosches.bsky.social
@harvardmed.bsky.social @columbiauniversity.bsky.social @brownuresearch.bsky.social
@davidhbrann.bsky.social @alonso-ortegag.bsky.social @pinard.bsky.social @matosches.bsky.social
@harvardmed.bsky.social @columbiauniversity.bsky.social @brownuresearch.bsky.social
14🧵Perhaps “teaching old cells and old genes new tricks"?
April 8, 2025 at 8:18 PM
14🧵Perhaps “teaching old cells and old genes new tricks"?
13🧵Olfaction is processed more broadly in cortices of amphibians but shifted to lateral areas in reptiles and mammals. Ancestral gene regulatory networks, whose signatures are still present in the olfactory cortex, may have been repurposed to diversify the early cerebral cortex
April 8, 2025 at 8:18 PM
13🧵Olfaction is processed more broadly in cortices of amphibians but shifted to lateral areas in reptiles and mammals. Ancestral gene regulatory networks, whose signatures are still present in the olfactory cortex, may have been repurposed to diversify the early cerebral cortex
12🧵These results suggest there is something deeply conserved in the molecular code between olfactory cortex neurons and non-mammalian cortical neurons, extending beyond function, while neurons of the mammalian neocortex drastically diverged over the past 200 million years!
April 8, 2025 at 8:18 PM
12🧵These results suggest there is something deeply conserved in the molecular code between olfactory cortex neurons and non-mammalian cortical neurons, extending beyond function, while neurons of the mammalian neocortex drastically diverged over the past 200 million years!
11🧵Last but not least, olfactory cortex neurons exhibited greater similarity to neurons of reptiles and amphibians than to neighboring neocortex neurons. Surprisingly, this similarity extended to non-mammalian neurons located outside olfactory regions!
April 8, 2025 at 8:18 PM
11🧵Last but not least, olfactory cortex neurons exhibited greater similarity to neurons of reptiles and amphibians than to neighboring neocortex neurons. Surprisingly, this similarity extended to non-mammalian neurons located outside olfactory regions!
10🧵We also found a small but significant difference in the neuronal composition of the olfactory cortex—but not of the neocortex—between lab and wild mice, and between human individuals, potentially driven by the differentiation of a small population of adult immature neurons!
April 8, 2025 at 8:18 PM
10🧵We also found a small but significant difference in the neuronal composition of the olfactory cortex—but not of the neocortex—between lab and wild mice, and between human individuals, potentially driven by the differentiation of a small population of adult immature neurons!
9🧵Olfactory cortex glutamatergic neurons exhibit greater overlap in gene expression and lower transcriptional repression, which may suggest less functional cellular specialization and diversification in the adult olfactory cortex.
April 8, 2025 at 8:18 PM
9🧵Olfactory cortex glutamatergic neurons exhibit greater overlap in gene expression and lower transcriptional repression, which may suggest less functional cellular specialization and diversification in the adult olfactory cortex.
8🧵Ancestral cellular and molecular features in the olfactory cortex, compared to the neocortex, include graded transcriptomic profiles, greater overlap in gene expression, divergence between laboratory and wild mice, and greater similarity to cortical neurons of non-mammals.
April 8, 2025 at 8:18 PM
8🧵Ancestral cellular and molecular features in the olfactory cortex, compared to the neocortex, include graded transcriptomic profiles, greater overlap in gene expression, divergence between laboratory and wild mice, and greater similarity to cortical neurons of non-mammals.
7🧵We then compared neurons of the olfactory cortex with neurons of the neocortex in mice and with neurons of the cerebral cortex of reptiles and salamanders. These comparisons reveal that olfactory cortex neurons retained ancestral features of cortical identity🦖
April 8, 2025 at 8:18 PM
7🧵We then compared neurons of the olfactory cortex with neurons of the neocortex in mice and with neurons of the cerebral cortex of reptiles and salamanders. These comparisons reveal that olfactory cortex neurons retained ancestral features of cortical identity🦖
6🧵First, for the olfactory cortex aficionados, we here provide a detailed molecular characterization of cell types, their markers, and their laminar locations across the anterior-posterior axis of the brain.
April 8, 2025 at 8:18 PM
6🧵First, for the olfactory cortex aficionados, we here provide a detailed molecular characterization of cell types, their markers, and their laminar locations across the anterior-posterior axis of the brain.
5🧵In this study, we used single-nucleus multiome sequencing (transcriptome and epigenome) across mammalian cortical structures with different layers, with a focus on the anterior and posterior olfactory cortex.
April 8, 2025 at 8:18 PM
5🧵In this study, we used single-nucleus multiome sequencing (transcriptome and epigenome) across mammalian cortical structures with different layers, with a focus on the anterior and posterior olfactory cortex.
4🧵The mammalian olfactory cortex provides a unique lens to understand the evolution of the cerebral cortex, with its cytoarchitecture conserved across species, while its neurons evolved alongside the emergence of the neocortex! 🔍
April 8, 2025 at 8:18 PM
4🧵The mammalian olfactory cortex provides a unique lens to understand the evolution of the cerebral cortex, with its cytoarchitecture conserved across species, while its neurons evolved alongside the emergence of the neocortex! 🔍
3🧵However, despite 200 million years of side-by-side coevolution with the neocortex, the mammalian olfactory cortex retained a three-layered structure, similar to the entire cerebral cortex of reptiles and amphibians. Why does this matter?
April 8, 2025 at 8:18 PM
3🧵However, despite 200 million years of side-by-side coevolution with the neocortex, the mammalian olfactory cortex retained a three-layered structure, similar to the entire cerebral cortex of reptiles and amphibians. Why does this matter?
2🧵Olfactory regions dominated the cerebral cortex in early vertebrates. Over time, the cortex diversified extensively for processing various sensory stimuli. The most dramatic structural change in the brain? The evolution of the neocortex in mammals with its six layers! 🧠✨
April 8, 2025 at 8:18 PM
2🧵Olfactory regions dominated the cerebral cortex in early vertebrates. Over time, the cortex diversified extensively for processing various sensory stimuli. The most dramatic structural change in the brain? The evolution of the neocortex in mammals with its six layers! 🧠✨
1🧵Sensory systems evolved to help animals adapt to their environments. For example, when life transitioned from water to land, olfactory circuits adapted to help find food, detect predators, and locate mates. 🦸♂️
April 8, 2025 at 8:18 PM
1🧵Sensory systems evolved to help animals adapt to their environments. For example, when life transitioned from water to land, olfactory circuits adapted to help find food, detect predators, and locate mates. 🦸♂️
Reposted by Sara Zeppilli
.. and what an honour to be jointly published with two other papers from the @kaessmannlab.bsky.social and the Fernando García-Moreno lab - all of this summarized in a great perspective by Maria Tosches and @giacomogattoni.bsky.social www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Constrained roads to complex brains
Neural development and brain circuit evolution converged in birds and mammals
www.science.org
February 14, 2025 at 12:06 PM
.. and what an honour to be jointly published with two other papers from the @kaessmannlab.bsky.social and the Fernando García-Moreno lab - all of this summarized in a great perspective by Maria Tosches and @giacomogattoni.bsky.social www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...