Convergent transcriptional specializations in the brains of humans and song-learning birds

Andreas R. Pfenning; Erina Hara; Osceola Whitney; Miriam V. Rivas; Rui Wang; Petra L. Roulhac; Jason T. Howard; Morgan Wirthlin; Peter V. Lovell; Ganeshkumar Ganapathy; Jacquelyn Mouncastle; M. Arthur Moseley; J. Will Thompson; Erik J. Soderblom; Atsushi Iriki; Masaki Kato; M. Thomas P. Gilbert; Guojie Zhang; Trygve Bakken; Angie Bongaarts; Amy Bernard; Ed Lein; Claudio V. Mello; Alexander J. Hartemink; Erich D. Jarvis

doi:10.1126/science.1256846

Convergent transcriptional specializations in the brains of humans and song-learning birds

Andreas R. Pfenning, Erina Hara, Osceola Whitney, Miriam V. Rivas, Rui Wang, Petra L. Roulhac, Jason T. Howard, Morgan Wirthlin, Peter V. Lovell, Ganeshkumar Ganapathy, Jacquelyn Mouncastle, M. Arthur Moseley, J. Will Thompson, Erik J. Soderblom, Atsushi Iriki, Masaki Kato, M. Thomas P. Gilbert, Guojie Zhang, Trygve Bakken, Angie BongaartsAmy Bernard, Ed Lein, Claudio V. Mello, Alexander J. Hartemink, Erich D. Jarvis

Behavioral Neuroscience

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

310 Scopus citations

Abstract

Song-learning birds and humans share independently evolved similarities in brain pathways for vocal learning that are essential for song and speech and are not found in most other species. Comparisons of brain transcriptomes of song-learning birds and humans relative to vocal nonlearners identified convergent gene expression specializations in specific song and speech brain regions of avian vocal learners and humans. The strongest shared profiles relate bird motor and striatal song-learning nuclei, respectively, with human laryngeal motor cortex and parts of the striatum that control speech production and learning. Most of the associated genes function in motor control and brain connectivity. Thus, convergent behavior and neural connectivity for a complex trait are associated with convergent specialized expression of multiple genes.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	A6
Journal	Science
Volume	346
Issue number	6215
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1256846
State	Published - Dec 12 2014

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Pfenning, A. R., Hara, E., Whitney, O., Rivas, M. V., Wang, R., Roulhac, P. L., Howard, J. T., Wirthlin, M., Lovell, P. V., Ganapathy, G., Mouncastle, J., Moseley, M. A., Thompson, J. W., Soderblom, E. J., Iriki, A., Kato, M., Gilbert, M. T. P., Zhang, G., Bakken, T., ... Jarvis, E. D. (2014). Convergent transcriptional specializations in the brains of humans and song-learning birds. Science, 346(6215), Article A6. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1256846

Pfenning, AR, Hara, E, Whitney, O, Rivas, MV, Wang, R, Roulhac, PL, Howard, JT, Wirthlin, M, Lovell, PV, Ganapathy, G, Mouncastle, J, Moseley, MA, Thompson, JW, Soderblom, EJ, Iriki, A, Kato, M, Gilbert, MTP, Zhang, G, Bakken, T, Bongaarts, A, Bernard, A, Lein, E, Mello, CV, Hartemink, AJ & Jarvis, ED 2014, 'Convergent transcriptional specializations in the brains of humans and song-learning birds', Science, vol. 346, no. 6215, A6. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1256846

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title = "Convergent transcriptional specializations in the brains of humans and song-learning birds",

abstract = "Song-learning birds and humans share independently evolved similarities in brain pathways for vocal learning that are essential for song and speech and are not found in most other species. Comparisons of brain transcriptomes of song-learning birds and humans relative to vocal nonlearners identified convergent gene expression specializations in specific song and speech brain regions of avian vocal learners and humans. The strongest shared profiles relate bird motor and striatal song-learning nuclei, respectively, with human laryngeal motor cortex and parts of the striatum that control speech production and learning. Most of the associated genes function in motor control and brain connectivity. Thus, convergent behavior and neural connectivity for a complex trait are associated with convergent specialized expression of multiple genes.",

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AU - Roulhac, Petra L.

AU - Howard, Jason T.

AU - Wirthlin, Morgan

AU - Lovell, Peter V.

AU - Ganapathy, Ganeshkumar

AU - Mouncastle, Jacquelyn

AU - Moseley, M. Arthur

AU - Thompson, J. Will

AU - Soderblom, Erik J.

AU - Iriki, Atsushi

AU - Kato, Masaki

AU - Gilbert, M. Thomas P.

AU - Zhang, Guojie

AU - Bakken, Trygve

AU - Bongaarts, Angie

AU - Bernard, Amy

AU - Lein, Ed

AU - Mello, Claudio V.

AU - Hartemink, Alexander J.

AU - Jarvis, Erich D.

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AB - Song-learning birds and humans share independently evolved similarities in brain pathways for vocal learning that are essential for song and speech and are not found in most other species. Comparisons of brain transcriptomes of song-learning birds and humans relative to vocal nonlearners identified convergent gene expression specializations in specific song and speech brain regions of avian vocal learners and humans. The strongest shared profiles relate bird motor and striatal song-learning nuclei, respectively, with human laryngeal motor cortex and parts of the striatum that control speech production and learning. Most of the associated genes function in motor control and brain connectivity. Thus, convergent behavior and neural connectivity for a complex trait are associated with convergent specialized expression of multiple genes.

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Convergent transcriptional specializations in the brains of humans and song-learning birds

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