This research introduces the MIND model, a new framework explaining how the cerebral cortex develops its functional organization along the sensorimotor-to-association (S–A) axis. The study identifies two competing genetic programs: "pericentral" programs that promote high-order association networks from the brain's poles and "central" programs that establish primary sensory and motor areas. These programs interact through a process of induction and exclusion, where sensory inputs from the thalamus trigger the formation of primary areas that effectively push out association identities. This antagonistic relationship creates a modular landscape where primary areas exist as specialized islands within a vast ocean of association cortex. The researchers demonstrate that these mechanisms are evolutionarily conserved across species, from birds to humans, though the balance between these regions varies. Furthermore, the paper highlights how retinoic acid signaling and specific gene pairs like SEMA7A and PLXNC1 drive the physical and functional separation of these neural networks.
References:
Tsyporin J, Zhang M, Qi C, et al. Competing programs shape cortical sensorimotor–association axis development[J]. Nature, 2026: 1-12.
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