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Human-Specific NOTCH2NL Genes Expand Cortical Neurogenesis through Delta/Notch Regulation
Ikuo Suzuki (Université Libre de Bruxelles, VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research), David Gacquer (Université Libre de Bruxelles), Roxane Van Heurck (Université Libre de Bruxelles), Devesh Kumar (Université Libre de Bruxelles, VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research), Marta Wojno (Université Libre de Bruxelles, VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research), Angéline Bilheu (Université Libre de Bruxelles), Adèle Herpoel (Université Libre de Bruxelles), Nelle Lambert (Université Libre de Bruxelles), Julian Chéron (Université Libre de Bruxelles), Franck Polleux (Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Columbia University), Vincent Detours (Université Libre de Bruxelles), Pierre Vanderhaeghen (Université Libre de Bruxelles, Walloon Excellence in Lifesciences and Biotechnology)
Abstract: The cerebral cortex underwent rapid expansion and increased complexity during recent hominid evolution. Gene duplications constitute a major evolutionary force, but their impact on human brain development remains unclear. Using tailored RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), we profiled the spatial and temporal expression of hominid-specific duplicated (HS) genes in the human fetal cortex and identified a repertoire of 35 HS genes displaying robust and dynamic patterns during cortical neurogenesis. Among them NOTCH2NL, human-specific paralogs of the NOTCH2 receptor, stood out for their ability to promote cortical progenitor maintenance. NOTCH2NL promote the clonal expansion of human cortical progenitors, ultimately leading to higher neuronal output. At the molecular level, NOTCH2NL function by activating the Notch pathway through inhibition of cis Delta/Notch interactions. Our study uncovers a large repertoire of recently evolved genes active during human corticogenesis and reveals how human-specific NOTCH paralogs may have contributed to the expansion of the human cortex.