Montréal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada.
Nat Rev Neurosci. 2023 Dec;24(12):747-760. doi: 10.1038/s41583-023-00752-3. Epub 2023 Oct 17.
The brain is a network of interleaved neural circuits. In modern connectomics, brain connectivity is typically encoded as a network of nodes and edges, abstracting away the rich biological detail of local neuronal populations. Yet biological annotations for network nodes - such as gene expression, cytoarchitecture, neurotransmitter receptors or intrinsic dynamics - can be readily measured and overlaid on network models. Here we review how connectomes can be represented and analysed as annotated networks. Annotated connectomes allow us to reconceptualize architectural features of networks and to relate the connection patterns of brain regions to their underlying biology. Emerging work demonstrates that annotated connectomes help to make more veridical models of brain network formation, neural dynamics and disease propagation. Finally, annotations can be used to infer entirely new inter-regional relationships and to construct new types of network that complement existing connectome representations. In summary, biologically annotated connectomes offer a compelling way to study neural wiring in concert with local biological features.
大脑是由交错的神经网络组成的。在现代连接组学中，大脑连接通常被编码为节点和边的网络，抽象掉了局部神经元群体的丰富生物学细节。然而，网络节点的生物学注释，如基因表达、细胞构筑、神经递质受体或内在动力学，都可以很容易地被测量并叠加在网络模型上。在这里，我们回顾了如何将连接组表示为注释网络并进行分析。注释连接组允许我们重新概念化网络的结构特征，并将大脑区域的连接模式与其基础生物学联系起来。新兴的工作表明，注释连接组有助于构建更真实的大脑网络形成、神经动力学和疾病传播模型。最后，注释可以用来推断全新的区域间关系，并构建补充现有连接组表示的新型网络。总之，具有生物学注释的连接组提供了一种引人注目的方法，可将神经布线与局部生物学特征结合起来进行研究。
