Unraveling the functions of Interlaminar Astrocytes in the primate brain

Among different types of cortical astrocytes, the interlaminar astrocytes (ILAs) are a subset of Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)+ astrocytes with singular morphological traits: they can be identified in the cerebral cortex by having a cell body in the most marginal layer of the cerebral cortex (layer I), very close to the pia, and long, interlaminar processes running into deeper cortical layers, reaching layer V in human. All mammals have certain types of ILAs, but what makes them distinctive in primates is a combination of primate-specific features in terms of density, morphology and molecular markers. Primates with exceptional cognitive functions, specifically great apes and human, exhibit ILAs with the highest complexity. These data, together with their peculiar interlaminar morphology support the hypothesis that they contribute to the exceptionality of the primate brain and cognitive abilities through specific, yet-to-be-investigated functions. The goal of this project will be to investigate the ILA functions in the primate brain at a molecular, cellular, circuit and behavioral level, with postmortem human brains and chimera mouse models.