Synaptic Neoteny of Human Cortical Neurons Requires Species-Specific Balancing of SRGAP2-SYNGAP1 Cross-Inhibition

Scientists studied SRGAP2B/C, two human-specific gene duplications of the ancestral synaptic gene SRGAP2A, in human cortical pyramidal neurons xenotransplanted in the mouse cortex, which led to strongly accelerated synaptic development, indicating their requirement for the neoteny that distinguishes human synaptogenesis.