728-The Evolution of Human Cerebellar Synaptogenesis

Paper Talk · Apr 1, 2026 · 20m

This study presents a single-nucleus multiomic atlas of the adult primate cerebellum, comparing humans with chimpanzees, macaques, and marmosets to identify species-specific evolutionary features. While most cerebellar cell types are conserved across primates, researchers discovered that human granule cells exhibit significant transcriptomic divergence, particularly in genes related to synaptogenesis and synaptic maturation. A key finding is the human-specific expression of ZP2, a protein typically associated with reproductive fertilization, which has been repurposed in the brain to regulate…