The hypothalamus predates the origin of vertebrates.

Publication Year
2021

Type

Journal Article
Abstract

The hypothalamus coordinates neuroendocrine functions in vertebrates. To explore its evolutionary origin, we describe integrated transcriptome/connectome brain maps for swimming tadpoles of , which serves as an approximation of the ancestral proto-vertebrate. This map features several cell types related to different regions of the vertebrate hypothalamus, including the mammillary nucleus, the arcuate nucleus, and magnocellular neurons. Coronet cells express melanopsin and share additional properties with the saccus vasculosus, a specialized region of the hypothalamus that mediates photoperiodism in nontropical fishes. Comparative transcriptome analyses identified orthologous cell types for mechanosensory switch neurons, and and relay neurons in different regions of the mouse hypothalamus. These observations provide evidence that the hypothalamus predates the evolution of the vertebrate brain. We discuss the possibility that switch neurons, coronet cells, and / relay neurons comprise a behavioral circuit that helps trigger metamorphosis of larvae in response to twilight.

Journal
Sci Adv
Volume
7
Issue
18
Date Published
2021 Apr
ISSN Number
2375-2548
Alternate Journal
Sci Adv
PMCID
PMC8081355
PMID
33910896