Ancestral regulatory mechanisms specify conserved midbrain circuitry in arthropods and vertebrates

Bridi, J. C.; Ludlow, Z. N.; Kottler, B.; Hartmann, B.; Vanden Broeck, L.; Dearlove, J.; Goeker, M.; Strausfeld, N. J.; Callaerts, P.; Hirth, F.

doi:10.1101/820555

bioRxiv · 10.1101/820555

Ancestral regulatory mechanisms specify conserved midbrain circuitry in arthropods and vertebrates

Bridi, J. C.·Ludlow, Z. N.·Kottler, B.·Hartmann, B.·Vanden Broeck, L.·Dearlove, J.·Goeker, M.·Strausfeld, N. J.·Callaerts, P.·Hirth, F.

View original source ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

Corresponding attributes of neural development and function suggest arthropod and vertebrate brains may have an evolutionarily conserved organization. However, the underlying mechanisms have remained elusive. Here we identify a gene regulatory and character identity network defining the deutocerebral-tritocerebral boundary (DTB) in Drosophila. We show this network comprises genes homologous to those directing midbrain-hindbrain boundary (MHB) formation in vertebrates and their closest chordate relatives. Genetic tracing reveals that the embryonic DTB gives rise to adult midbrain circuits that in flies control auditory and vestibular information processing and motor coordination, as do MHB-derived circuits in vertebrates. DTB-specific gene expression and function is directed by cis-regulatory elements (CREs) of developmental control genes that include homologs of mammalian Zinc finger of the cerebellum and Purkinje cell protein 4. Moreover, Drosophila DTB-specific CREs correspond to regulatory sequences of human ENGRAILED-2, PAX-2 and DACHSHUND-1 that direct MHB-specific expression in the embryonic mouse brain. Together, these findings imply ancestral regulatory mechanisms mediating the genetic specification of midbrain-cerebellar circuitry for balance and motor control that may predated the radiation of cephalic nervous systems across the animal kingdom.

Source connections

Published article ↗

Explore related subjects

neuroscience Preprint

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeX RIS

Bridi, J. C., Ludlow, Z. N., Kottler, B., Hartmann, B., Vanden Broeck, L., Dearlove, J., Goeker, M., Strausfeld, N. J., Callaerts, P., Hirth, F.. 2019-10-28. Ancestral regulatory mechanisms specify conserved midbrain circuitry in arthropods and vertebrates. https://doi.org/10.1101/820555

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related preprints

bioRxiv2026

Novel Tau Interaction Partners as Potential Biomarkers and Therapeutic Targets in Neurodegenerative Diseases

Alzheimers disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder leading to cognitive decline and ultimately death. One of the main hallmarks of this disease is the accumulation of pathological tau protein into neurofibrillary tangles. To better understand these pathological mechanisms, it is essential to characterize the tau protein interactome in health and disease. In this study, we performed a yeast two-hybrid screening using a human brain cDNA library, from which we identified 15 novel tau-interacting proteins that bind to full-length human tau, or its fragments: the N-terminus, microtubule-binding domain, or C-terminus. We subsequently validated these novel interactions using in vitro co-immunoprecipitation and colocalization assays with both physiological and pathological tau isoforms. Furthermore, their interactions with the human tau protein were analyzed using surface plasmon resonance. Finally, an in silico interactome analysis of these newly discovered tau-binding partners revealed several additional interactors that can link them to downstream processes critical to neurodegenerative pathways Our findings offer fresh insights into tau biology and highlight novel targets for therapeutic intervention and biomarker development.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2026

Early visual cortex is not functionally necessary for temporal attention: A TMS study

Temporal attention enhances the selective processing of information at a specific point in time and improves perception. Previous neuroimaging studies investigating its neural mechanisms have either conflated temporal attention with temporal expectation or provided correlational evidence. Thus, whether early visual cortex is functionally necessary for temporal attention remains unknown. Here, we combined psychophysics with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to examine whether V1/V2 are functionally necessary and play a causal role in temporal attention. Observers performed an orientation-discrimination task in which two consecutive stimuli, T1 and T2, were presented in the periphery, preceded by a precue providing either valid or neutral temporal information. Double-pulse TMS was delivered under four conditions: at T1 (T1-TMS), at T2 (T2-TMS), at both T1 and T2 (both-TMS), or not at all (none-TMS), to assess its effects on temporal attention and the efficacy of the stimulation was verified by pupil size analysis. Behavioral results revealed robust temporal attention benefits on d', reaction time, and the Balanced Integration Score (BIS) across all four TMS conditions, indicating that the benefits of temporal attention were unaffected by occipital TMS. Furthermore, pupil dilation was largest in the both-TMS condition, followed by the T1-TMS and T2-TMS conditions, and smallest in the none-TMS condition, providing physiological verification of the stimulation protocol. Together, these findings reveal the first causal evidence that the early visual cortex is not functionally necessary for endogenous temporal attention.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2026

Disentanglement of persistent and dynamic neural substrates of working memory

Competing theories of working memory have alternatively emphasized the importance of persistent and dynamic substrates of this cognitive function. Here, we directly tested these theories by computationally isolating the contributions of persistent and dynamic activity to working memory. We analyzed neuronal population activity recordings in macaques doing match/non-match working memory tasks. We first extracted signatures of persistent and dynamic activity through cue-specific temporal means, temporal principal components, and correlations of activity patterns across task epochs. We then generated synthetic data constrained by these signatures, and decoded cue stimuli from these data, separately from persistent and non-persistent neurons. We found that high decoding performance arose from a nuanced interplay of persistent and dynamic activity. Specifically, we could decode stimuli at empirical or above-chance levels across all tasks only from persistent neurons, but only after constraining correlations of activity patterns across epochs. In this way, we showed distinct roles for persistent and dynamic neuronal activity that help to unify two competing theories of working memory. More broadly, we also advanced computational controlled experiments as a principled framework for adjudicating between competing models of neuronal population activity.

neuroscience↗