据介绍，与其他哺乳动物相比，人类大脑皮层的神经元发育显著延长。
研究人员探讨了线粒体是否影响皮质神经元成熟的物种特异性时间。通过比较人和小鼠皮层神经元在高时间和细胞分辨率下的成熟度，研究人员发现，与小鼠相比，人类皮层神经元的线粒体发育较慢，线粒体代谢活性较低，尤其是氧化磷酸化。刺激人类神经元中的线粒体代谢导致体外和体内加速发育，细胞提前数周成熟，而在小鼠神经元中抑制线粒体代谢导致成熟率降低。
总之，线粒体是人类特定脑发育过程中神经元发育速度的重要调节器。
附：英文原文
Title: Mitochondria metabolism sets the species-specific tempo of neuronal development
Author: Ryohei Iwata, Pierre Casimir, Emir Erkol, Lela Boubakar, Mélanie Planque, Isabel M. Gallego López, Martyna Ditkowska, Vaiva Gaspariunaite, Sofie Beckers, Daan Remans, Katlijn Vints, Anke Vandekeere, Suresh Poovathingal, Matthew Bird, Nikky Corthout, Pieter Vermeersch, Sébastien Carpentier, Kristofer Davie, Massimiliano Mazzone, Natalia V. Gounko, Stein Aerts, Bart Ghesquière, Sarah-Maria Fendt, Pierre Vanderhaeghen
Issue&Volume: 2023-01-26
Abstract: Neuronal development in the human cerebral cortex is considerably prolonged compared to that of other mammals. We explored whether mitochondria influence the species-specific timing of cortical neuron maturation. By comparing human and mouse cortical neuronal maturation at high temporal and cell resolution, we found a slower mitochondria development in human cortical neurons compared with that in the mouse, together with lower mitochondria metabolic activity, particularly that of oxidative phosphorylation. Stimulation of mitochondria metabolism in human neurons resulted in accelerated development in vitro and in vivo, leading to maturation of cells weeks ahead of time, whereas its inhibition in mouse neurons led to decreased rates of maturation. Mitochondria are thus important regulators of the pace of neuronal development underlying human-specific brain neoteny.
DOI: abn4705
Source: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abn4705