New preprint on vocal circuit evolution

Our latest work examining the gene regulatory networks underlying vocal circuit formation in songbirds is now preprinted in bioRxiv.

Led by grad student Arturo Marquez and a massive collective effort from the members of the lab.

Using single-nucleus RNA and ATAC-seq in songbird brains, we found that each projection neuron type in the birdsong circuit has a sister cell type in adjacent, unspecialized sensorimotor areas and that these sister cells are similar to neurons in the brains of chickens, a species that lacks complex learned vocalizations. By comparing the transcriptional and gene regulatory differences between song-dedicated and ancestral neuron pairs, we found that song-dedicated projection neurons have co-opted gene regulatory networks from inhibitory neurons and astrocytes. Overexpressing the transcription factors controlling these networks, MAFB and EMX2, in the chicken brain partially drives song neuron-specific gene expression programs, indicating that a molecular component of birdsong circuit specialization lies latent in the genomes of distantly related avian species. Finally, we identified signatures of regulatory element evolution at the MAFB and EMX2 loci, providing a mechanism for co-option into song-dedicated neurons.

The paper is available on our publications page.