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DTSTAMP:20261012T060308Z
UID:1792494000@ist.ac.at
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DESCRIPTION:Speaker: Yuri Ignatyev\nhosted by Beatriz Vicoso\nAbstract: The
  spinal cord plays a central role in sensorimotor behavior\, integrating s
 ensory input and descending commands from the brain to generate movement. 
 Like the brain\, it is composed of diverse populations of excitatory and i
 nhibitory neurons. Over the course of evolution\, vertebrates have adapted
  to new environments and evolved distinct body plans\, yet it remains uncl
 ear how the neuronal architecture of the spinal cord has changed to suppor
 t these adaptations. Advances in single-cell genomics have made it possibl
 e to characterize neuronal diversity at single-cell resolution\, but in th
 e spinal cord such data are largely limited to mammals. To address this ga
 p and understand how spinal neuronal diversity has evolved\, this thesis c
 ompares spinal cell types across vertebrates\, including zebrafish\, frog\
 , lizard\, mouse and human.First\, we generate a single-cell transcriptomi
 c atlas of the developing spinal cord of the amphibian Xenopus laevis and 
 compare it with mouse developmental data. This reveals a highly conserved 
 developmental framework across tetrapods\, including conservation of the m
 ajor cardinal classes\, their spatial distributions and temporal subdivisi
 ons.Second\, we extend this comparison to the adult spinal cord by generat
 ing a single-cell and spatial transcriptomic atlas of the frog spinal cord
  and comparing it with mouse and human data. In contrast to development\, 
 we find marked divergence between amphibians and mammals\, largely restric
 ted to dorsal excitatory interneurons of the superficial dorsal horn\, inc
 luding several mammalian-specific populations. Adding zebrafish further su
 pports the dorsal excitatory compartment as a major site of species-specif
 ic diversification.Finally\, we characterize the adult spinal cord of the 
 lizard Pogona vitticeps to test whether these populations are specific to 
 mammals or shared across amniotes. This analysis further supports their ma
 mmalian specificity and links them to late-born dorsal lineages.Together\,
  these findings suggest that the spinal cord is built on a largely conserv
 ed developmental framework\, whereas adult neuronal diversity has diverged
  selectively in the dorsal spinal cord. The superficial dorsal spinal cord
  thus emerges as a recently evolved hub for sensory integration in mammals
 .
LOCATION:Office Bldg West / Ground floor / Heinzel Seminar Room (I21.EG.101
 ) and Zoom\, ISTA
ORGANIZER:
SUMMARY:Yuri Ignatyev: Thesis Defense: Deciphering spinal interneuron heter
 ogeneity across vertebrate evolution
URL:https://talks-calendar.ista.ac.at/events/6691
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