2026-09-30 マックス・プランク研究所
Fluorescence microscopy image of cortical layer 1, highlighting the cellular architecture of this outermost cortical layer. Cell nuclei are shown in cyan, astrocytes in magenta, and neurons in green. (Scale bar = 20 microns) © MPI f. Brain Research/ T. Spanò
＜関連情報＞
- https://www.mpg.de/27009828/remote-control-in-the-cortex-how-distant-synapses-are-equipped-for-change
- https://www.cell.com/cell-reports/fulltext/S2211-1247(26)00765-5
皮質第1層における局所的なmRNAおよびタンパク質合成 Localized mRNAs and protein synthesis in cortical layer 1
Teresa Spanò ∙ Belquis Nassim-Assir ∙ Eva Kaulich ∙ … ∙ Lucija Marić ∙ Elena Ciirdaeva ∙ Erin M. Schuman
Cell Reports Published:July 16, 2026
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2026.117687
Highlights
- Layer 1, its excitatory neuropil and its synapses actively synthesize new proteins
- Large and distinct pools of mRNAs localize in layer 1 excitatory and inhibitory synapses
- Layer 1 synapses have distinct transcriptomic profiles from deeper layer synapses
- The layer 1 and hippocampal stratum lacunosum moleculare transcriptomes are markedly similar
Summary
Cortical layer 1 plays an essential role in neural networks, integrating many streams of information and undergoing plasticity during learning. Yet, we know little about the underlying molecular processes and whether layer-specific adaptations exist. Here, we show that layer 1 and its synapses actively synthesize proteins. Using laser capture RNA-sequencing and fluorescence in situ hybridization, we report an abundance of localized synaptic transcripts. We purify layer 1 excitatory and inhibitory mouse synapses and characterize their enriched transcriptomes, identifying proteins that can be locally synthesized and finding significant differences with deeper layer transcriptomes. Finally, we discover a strong similarity between cortical layer 1 and hippocampal stratum lacunosum moleculare, which suggests a conserved molecular architecture of these distal layers. Together, our results establish local protein synthesis as an important feature of cortical layer 1, and we provide the first comprehensive description of the transcriptomes of layer 1 and its synapses, which we make available online.
