2026-03-12 オックスフォード大学
＜関連情報＞
- https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2026-03-12-new-research-reveals-how-development-and-sex-shape-brain
- https://www.cell.com/cell-genomics/fulltext/S2666-979X(25)00381-7
- https://www.cell.com/cell-genomics/fulltext/S2666-979X(25)00359-3
ショウジョウバエの脳における性二型の新たな軸を定義する神経細胞の生存差 Differential neuronal survival defines a novel axis of sexual dimorphism in the Drosophila brain
Aaron M. Allen ∙ Megan C. Neville ∙ Tetsuya Nojima ∙ Faredin Alejevski ∙ Stephen F. Goodwin
Cell Genomics Published: January 12, 2026
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xgen.2025.101125
Graphical abstract
Highlights
- Systematic analysis of sex-specific transcriptomic diversity in the adult brain
- doublesex and fruitless explain the majority of sex differences in the adult brain
- Links doublesex and fruitless transcriptomic diversity to neuron anatomy
- Birth order represents a novel axis of sexual differentiation in the central brain
Summary
Sex differences in behaviors arise from variations in female and male nervous systems, yet the cellular and molecular bases of these differences remain poorly defined. Here, we employ an unbiased, single-cell transcriptomic approach to investigate how sex influences the adult Drosophila melanogaster brain. We demonstrate that sex differences do not result from large-scale transcriptional reprogramming, but rather from selective modifications within shared developmental lineages mediated by the sex-differentiating transcription factors Doublesex and Fruitless. We reveal, with unprecedented resolution, the extraordinary genetic diversity within these sexually dimorphic cell types and find that birth order represents a novel axis of sexual differentiation. Neuronal identity in the adult reflects spatiotemporal patterning and sex-specific survival, with female-biased neurons emerging early and male-biased neurons arising later. This pattern reframes dimorphic neurons as “paralogous” rather than “orthologous,” suggesting sex leverages distinct developmental windows to build behavioral circuits, and highlights a role for exaptation in diversifying the brain.
高解像度の脳地図は、神経細胞のアイデンティティの根底にある系統と出生順序を予測する A high-resolution atlas of the brain predicts lineage and birth order underlying neuronal identity
Aaron M. Allen ∙ Megan C. Neville ∙ Tetsuya Nojima ∙ … ∙ Devika Agarwal ∙ David Sims ∙ Stephen F. Goodwin
Cell Genomics Published: December 19, 2025
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xgen.2025.101103
Highlights
- Single-cell atlas reveals 4,167 neuronal subtypes in adult Drosophila brain
- Lineage and birth order shape adult neuron transcriptomic identities
- Distinct TF families act along spatial and temporal axes of neuron specification
- Intersectional genetic tools bridge gene expression to anatomy and circuit function
Summary
Gene expression shapes the nervous system at every biological level, from molecular and cellular processes defining neuronal identity and function to systems-level wiring and circuit dynamics underlying behavior. Here, we generate the first high-resolution, single-cell transcriptomic atlas of the adult Drosophila melanogaster central brain by integrating multiple datasets, achieving an unprecedented 10-fold coverage of every neuron in this complex tissue. We show that a neuron’s genetic identity overwhelmingly reflects its developmental origin, preserving a genetic address based on both lineage and birth order. We reveal foundational rules linking neurogenesis to transcriptional identity and provide a framework for systematically defining neuronal types. This atlas provides a powerful resource for mapping the cellular substrates of behavior by integrating annotations of hemilineage, cell types/subtypes, and molecular signatures of underlying physiological properties. It lays the groundwork for a long-sought bridge between developmental processes and the functional circuits that give rise to behavior.
