Genetic changes shaping the human brain

Byoung-Il Bae; Divya Jayaraman; Christopher A Walsh

doi:10.1016/j.devcel.2015.01.035

Genetic changes shaping the human brain

Dev Cell. 2015 Feb 23;32(4):423-34. doi: 10.1016/j.devcel.2015.01.035.

Authors

Byoung-Il Bae¹, Divya Jayaraman¹, Christopher A Walsh²

Affiliations

¹ Division of Genetics and Genomics, Manton Center for Orphan Disease, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Boston, MA 02115, USA; and Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
² Division of Genetics and Genomics, Manton Center for Orphan Disease, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Boston, MA 02115, USA; and Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Electronic address: christopher.walsh@childrens.harvard.edu.

Abstract

The development and function of our brain are governed by a genetic blueprint, which reflects dynamic changes over the history of evolution. Recent progress in genetics and genomics, facilitated by next-generation sequencing and single-cell sorting, has identified numerous genomic loci that are associated with a neuroanatomical or neurobehavioral phenotype. Here, we review some of the genetic changes in both protein-coding and noncoding regions that affect brain development and evolution, as well as recent progress in brain transcriptomics. Understanding these genetic changes may provide novel insights into neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders, such as autism and schizophrenia.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Biological Evolution*
Brain / metabolism*
Databases, Genetic*
Gene Expression Regulation / genetics*
Genomics*
Humans
Phenotype*

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding