Authors
Rui-Feng Liu, Mengyao Huang, Yuhui Shen, Mingting Shao, Junzhan Jing, Nana Xu, Lei Tang, Biaodi Liu, Jianming Shi, Fanrui Chen, Zhao-Zhe Hao, Xiaolong Jiang, Sheng Liu
Published in
Nature cell biology. Jul 02, 2026. Epub Jul 02, 2026.
Abstract
The anterior insular cortex (AIC) is a critical hub integrating exteroceptive and interoceptive information into high-order cognition, yet its neural basis remains incompletely understood. Here, by combining whole-cell-based single-cell transcriptomics with Patch-seq recordings, we resolved and characterized 78 detailed cell types in the macaque AIC, revealing the diversity and specialization of this region in cell type, connectivity profile, signal-processing strategy and metabolic characteristics. Among these, we identified two transcriptomically and morphoelectrically defined von Economo neuron (VEN) subtypes, DSG2-expressing VEN-L and POC5-expressing VEN-S, transcriptomically relating to extratelencephalic and corticothalamic projection neurons, respectively. We also uncovered a previously underappreciated signal-processing strategy by VENs, whereby the geometry of the dendrite-originating axon reshapes action potential dynamics and enhances somatic responsiveness to deep-layer synaptic inputs. Our multimodal atlas establishes a molecular and functional framework for investigating the circuit principles underlying cognitive processes in the primate AIC.
PMID:
42393360
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 03 Jul 2026.
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