Spatiotemporal proteomic atlas of multiple brain regions across early fetal to neonatal stages in cynomolgus monkey

Fetal stages are critical periods for brain development. However, the protein molecular signature and dynamics of the human brain remain unclear due to sampling difficulty and ethical limitations. Non-human primates present similar developmental and neuropathological features to humans. This study constructed a spatiotemporal proteomic atlas of cynomolgus macaque brain development from early fetal to neonatal stages. Here we showed that (1) the variability across stages was greater than that among brain regions, and comparisons of cerebellum vs. cerebrum and cortical vs. subcortical regions revealed region-specific dynamics across early fetal to neonatal stages; (2) fluctuations in abundance of proteins associated with neural disease suggest the risk of nervous disorder at early fetal stages; (3) cross-species analysis (human, monkey, and mouse) and comparison between proteomic and transcriptomic data reveal the proteomic specificity and genes with mRNA/protein discrepancy. This study provides insight into fetal brain development in primates. Proteomic data covering fetal and neonatal primate brain development in the primate brain is needed to understand development and changes in functional gene products. Here, the authors show the dynamic proteomic changes of the cynomolgus macaque brain during the development from early fetal to neonatal stages by constructing a spatiotemporal proteomic atlas.

Automated summary

This study constructed a spatiotemporal proteomic atlas of cynomolgus macaque brain development, revealing dynamic changes in protein abundance from early fetal to neonatal stages. These changes may indicate the risk of neural disorders during early fetal stages. Comparison between different species and transcriptomic data provides insights into the specificity of proteomics and genes with mRNA/protein discrepancies. This study is important for understanding primate fetal brain development.