The genes of living beings do not contain a detailed map of the brain. This has been shown by researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH) using a model they developed themselves. According to a press release issued by ETH Zurich, it helps to explain how a brain of the maturity of a six-year-old child can develop from a mouse brain, namely with the help of what are known as axons, which are tube-like extensions of nerve cells.
It is obvious that “the instructions for wiring the brain must be genetically encoded – otherwise, people’s brains would not all develop a similar structure”, explains Stan Kerstjens, doctoral student at the Institute of Neuroinformatics of ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich, in the press release. However, he goes on to say, it does not encode the detailed connectome, i.e. the complex target organ, but rather a compact search method. “This method can then be used by the axons, the long fibers that establish contact with other cells”, he states.
In this tissue growth model, the researchers show that a daughter cell has a similar, but not identical, gene expression to its parent after division, and that cells with similar gene expression are grouped near to one another. According to Kerstjens, “the expression of the genes actually divides the brain into distinct yet related regions”.
With their work, which was recently published in the journal “PLOS Computational Biology”, the researchers were seeking to understand how an organ with the capacity to learn develops. “And the work we’ve done to date shows us the direction future research can take”, Kerstjens concludes.
Related news
Meet with an expansion expert
Our services are free of charge and include:
- Introduction to key contacts in industry, academia, and government
- Advice on regulatory framework, taxes, labor, market, and setting up a company
- Custom-made fact-finding visits, including office and co-working space