Convergent transcriptional specializations in the brains of humans and song-learning birds

Andreas R. Pfenning; Erina Hara; Osceola Whitney; Miriam V. Rivas; Rui Wang; Petra L. Roulhac; Jason T. Howard; Morgan Wirthlin; Peter V. Lovell; Ganeshkumar Ganapathy; Jacquelyn Mouncastle; M. Arthur Moseley; J. Will Thompson; Erik J. Soderblom; Atsushi Iriki; Masaki Kato; M. Thomas P. Gilbert; Guojie Zhang; Trygve Bakken; Angie Bongaarts; Amy Bernard; Ed Lein; Claudio V. Mello; Alexander J. Hartemink; Erich D. Jarvis

doi:10.1126/science.1256846

Convergent transcriptional specializations in the brains of humans and song-learning birds

Andreas R. Pfenning^*, Erina Hara, Osceola Whitney, Miriam V. Rivas, Rui Wang, Petra L. Roulhac, Jason T. Howard, Morgan Wirthlin, Peter V. Lovell, Ganeshkumar Ganapathy, Jacquelyn Mouncastle, M. Arthur Moseley, J. Will Thompson, Erik J. Soderblom, Atsushi Iriki, Masaki Kato, M. Thomas P. Gilbert, Guojie Zhang, Trygve Bakken, Angie BongaartsAmy Bernard, Ed Lein, Claudio V. Mello, Alexander J. Hartemink, Erich D. Jarvis

^*Corresponding author for this work

Ecology and Evolution

210 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Song-learning birds and humans share independently evolved similarities in brain pathways for vocal learning that are essential for song and speech and are not found in most other species. Comparisons of brain transcriptomes of song-learning birds and humans relative to vocal nonlearners identified convergent gene expression specializations in specific song and speech brain regions of avian vocal learners and humans. The strongest shared profiles relate bird motor and striatal song-learning nuclei, respectively, with human laryngeal motor cortex and parts of the striatum that control speech production and learning. Most of the associated genes function in motor control and brain connectivity. Thus, convergent behavior and neural connectivity for a complex trait are associated with convergent specialized expression of multiple genes.

Original language	English
Journal	Science
Volume	346
Issue number	6215
Number of pages	13
ISSN	0036-8075
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1256846
Publication status	Published - 2014

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Pfenning, A. R., Hara, E., Whitney, O., Rivas, M. V., Wang, R., Roulhac, P. L., Howard, J. T., Wirthlin, M., Lovell, P. V., Ganapathy, G., Mouncastle, J., Moseley, M. A., Thompson, J. W., Soderblom, E. J., Iriki, A., Kato, M., Gilbert, M. T. P., Zhang, G., Bakken, T., ... Jarvis, E. D. (2014). Convergent transcriptional specializations in the brains of humans and song-learning birds. Science, 346(6215). https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1256846

Pfenning, AR, Hara, E, Whitney, O, Rivas, MV, Wang, R, Roulhac, PL, Howard, JT, Wirthlin, M, Lovell, PV, Ganapathy, G, Mouncastle, J, Moseley, MA, Thompson, JW, Soderblom, EJ, Iriki, A, Kato, M, Gilbert, MTP , Zhang, G, Bakken, T, Bongaarts, A, Bernard, A, Lein, E, Mello, CV, Hartemink, AJ & Jarvis, ED 2014, 'Convergent transcriptional specializations in the brains of humans and song-learning birds', Science, vol. 346, no. 6215. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1256846

@article{881e5c800b664420a845a388aa13538d,

title = "Convergent transcriptional specializations in the brains of humans and song-learning birds",

abstract = "Song-learning birds and humans share independently evolved similarities in brain pathways for vocal learning that are essential for song and speech and are not found in most other species. Comparisons of brain transcriptomes of song-learning birds and humans relative to vocal nonlearners identified convergent gene expression specializations in specific song and speech brain regions of avian vocal learners and humans. The strongest shared profiles relate bird motor and striatal song-learning nuclei, respectively, with human laryngeal motor cortex and parts of the striatum that control speech production and learning. Most of the associated genes function in motor control and brain connectivity. Thus, convergent behavior and neural connectivity for a complex trait are associated with convergent specialized expression of multiple genes.",

author = "Pfenning, {Andreas R.} and Erina Hara and Osceola Whitney and Rivas, {Miriam V.} and Rui Wang and Roulhac, {Petra L.} and Howard, {Jason T.} and Morgan Wirthlin and Lovell, {Peter V.} and Ganeshkumar Ganapathy and Jacquelyn Mouncastle and Moseley, {M. Arthur} and Thompson, {J. Will} and Soderblom, {Erik J.} and Atsushi Iriki and Masaki Kato and Gilbert, {M. Thomas P.} and Guojie Zhang and Trygve Bakken and Angie Bongaarts and Amy Bernard and Ed Lein and Mello, {Claudio V.} and Hartemink, {Alexander J.} and Jarvis, {Erich D.}",

year = "2014",

doi = "10.1126/science.1256846",

language = "English",

volume = "346",

journal = "Science",

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T1 - Convergent transcriptional specializations in the brains of humans and song-learning birds

AU - Pfenning, Andreas R.

AU - Hara, Erina

AU - Whitney, Osceola

AU - Rivas, Miriam V.

AU - Wang, Rui

AU - Roulhac, Petra L.

AU - Howard, Jason T.

AU - Wirthlin, Morgan

AU - Lovell, Peter V.

AU - Ganapathy, Ganeshkumar

AU - Mouncastle, Jacquelyn

AU - Moseley, M. Arthur

AU - Thompson, J. Will

AU - Soderblom, Erik J.

AU - Iriki, Atsushi

AU - Kato, Masaki

AU - Gilbert, M. Thomas P.

AU - Zhang, Guojie

AU - Bakken, Trygve

AU - Bongaarts, Angie

AU - Bernard, Amy

AU - Lein, Ed

AU - Mello, Claudio V.

AU - Hartemink, Alexander J.

AU - Jarvis, Erich D.

PY - 2014

Y1 - 2014

N2 - Song-learning birds and humans share independently evolved similarities in brain pathways for vocal learning that are essential for song and speech and are not found in most other species. Comparisons of brain transcriptomes of song-learning birds and humans relative to vocal nonlearners identified convergent gene expression specializations in specific song and speech brain regions of avian vocal learners and humans. The strongest shared profiles relate bird motor and striatal song-learning nuclei, respectively, with human laryngeal motor cortex and parts of the striatum that control speech production and learning. Most of the associated genes function in motor control and brain connectivity. Thus, convergent behavior and neural connectivity for a complex trait are associated with convergent specialized expression of multiple genes.

AB - Song-learning birds and humans share independently evolved similarities in brain pathways for vocal learning that are essential for song and speech and are not found in most other species. Comparisons of brain transcriptomes of song-learning birds and humans relative to vocal nonlearners identified convergent gene expression specializations in specific song and speech brain regions of avian vocal learners and humans. The strongest shared profiles relate bird motor and striatal song-learning nuclei, respectively, with human laryngeal motor cortex and parts of the striatum that control speech production and learning. Most of the associated genes function in motor control and brain connectivity. Thus, convergent behavior and neural connectivity for a complex trait are associated with convergent specialized expression of multiple genes.

U2 - 10.1126/science.1256846

DO - 10.1126/science.1256846

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 25504733

AN - SCOPUS:84917671664

SN - 0036-8075

VL - 346

JO - Science

JF - Science

IS - 6215

ER -

Convergent transcriptional specializations in the brains of humans and song-learning birds

Abstract

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