Spotting the Difference

We might not look alike but we humans share around 85% of our genes with mice. The similarities don’t end there. Our brains are similar too. That’s why mouse brains are used as models to investigate human brain biology. However, when using mouse models, it’s nonetheless helpful to know where the differences lie. Researchers examine the differences between human and mouse cerebellums – the back part of the brain that controls movement – specifically neurons called Purkinje cells (PCs). Using confocal microscopy of human brain tissue labelled with a marker for PCs and brain tissue from mice genetically altered to tag their PCs, they created digital reconstructions of these neurons (pictured here from humans). Focussing on PC projections (dendrites) that receive signals from other neurons, the team found human and mouse PCs had similar dendrite branching patterns but human dendrites were denser and branched much more horizontally, creating more far-reaching PCs. It’s thought this arrangement bestows potentially more functional diversity than that found in mice.

Written by Lux Fatimathas

Lux Fatimathas

Writer

Having pursued science through a career in research, communications and publishing, she is currently a writer and editor for a healthcare marketing agency and also juggles freelance science writing.

• Image from work by Silas E Busch and Christian Hansel
• Department of Neurobiology and Neuroscience Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
• Image originally published with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
• Published in eLife (reviewed preprint), January 2025