Journal
ELIFE
Volume 10, Issue -, Pages -Publisher
ELIFE SCIENCES PUBLICATIONS LTD
DOI: 10.7554/eLife.69161
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Funding
- Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek [SB/1S19517N, SB/11D4120N]
- KU Leuven [N/20/007, IOFm/17/014]
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn
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Cephalopods, such as Octopus vulgaris, have neural progenitors located outside the central brain cords, expressing conserved transcription factors like achaete-scute or neurogenin. Lineage-tracing experiments show that these progenitors generate neurons for different lobes, similar to squid species like Doryteuthis pealeii. The migration of newborn neurons over long distances in octopuses is reminiscent of vertebrate neurogenesis, hinting at a fundamental strategy for large brain development.
Cephalopods have evolved nervous systems that parallel the complexity of mammalian brains in terms of neuronal numbers and richness in behavioral output. How the cephalopod brain develops has only been described at the morphological level, and it remains unclear where the progenitor cells are located and what molecular factors drive neurogenesis. Using histological techniques, we located dividing cells, neural progenitors and postmitotic neurons in Octopus vulgaris embryos. Our results indicate that an important pool of progenitors, expressing the conserved bHLH transcription factors achaete-scute or neurogenin, is located outside the central brain cords in the lateral lips adjacent to the eyes, suggesting that newly formed neurons migrate into the cords. Lineage-tracing experiments then showed that progenitors, depending on their location in the lateral lips, generate neurons for the different lobes, similar to the squid Doryteuthis pealeii. The finding that octopus newborn neurons migrate over long distances is reminiscent of vertebrate neurogenesis and suggests it might be a fundamental strategy for large brain development.
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