Understanding the unique features of the human brain compared with non-human primates has long intrigued humankind. The cerebellum refines motor coordination and cognitive functions, contributing to the evolutionary development of human adaptability and dexterity. To identify shared and divergent features across primates, we conducted single-nucleus transcriptomic and chromatin accessibility profiling of the adult cerebellar cortex in humans, chimpanzees, macaques, and marmosets. We revealed human-specific transcriptomic and regulatory features, particularly those involved in synaptogenesis. Notably, we identified enrichment of the sperm receptor zona pellucida glycoprotein 2 (ZP2) and its potential interactors, known for their roles in gamete interaction, in human granule cells (GCs). Experimental data show that ZP2 expression in human GCs is induced by pontine mossy fibers, reducing synaptic proteins at the pontocerebellar glomerular synapses and decreasing cerebellar neuron electrophysiological activity. This unexpected co-option of ZP2 in human-specific synapse regulation provides insights into the evolutionary specialization of the human cerebellum.
Human-specific features of the cerebellum and ZP2-regulated synapse development
Suel-Kee Kim·Nenad Šestan·Ana Spajic·Nicola Micali·Ryan D. Risgaard·Anagha Nadkarni·Rachel J Chen·Rothem Kovner·Martina Glavan·Saejeong Park·Yury M. Morozov·Sirisha Pochareddy·Chet C. Sherwood·Amir Karger·David M. Young·Ipsita Chatterjee·Etienne W. Daadi·Adriana Cherskov·Carlo Colantuoni·Yueqi Zhang·Akemi Shibata·Gabriel Santpere·Suvimal Kumar Sindhu·Menglei Zhang·Hyojin Kim·Ying Liu·Alvaro Duque·S. Li·Xinyun Li·S. Sanders·Mingli Li·Kevin T. Gobeske·S. G. Waxman·Jose Manuel Ruiz-Jiménez·Aastha Sindhwani·Anita Huttner·Xoel Mato-Blanco·Andre M.M. Sousa·Victor Luria·Shaojie Ma·Hyesun Cho·Patrick R. Hof·Pasko Rakic·John J. Ely·Mark Estación·Sang-Hun Choi·Marcel M. Daadi

