In vivo replication of a fully functional nerve net in a clonally reproducing animal
Abstract
Nerve nets are considered the evolutionarily oldest form of nervous system. How such networks develop and how complex nervous systems become fully functional is largely unknown. In a phylogenetically ancient animal, the freshwater polyp Hydra , we demonstrate how a nerve net consisting of distinct neuronal populations is precisely replicated over the course of asexual proliferation by budding. During this process, precursor cells first accumulate at the site of the emerging neural network, followed by a stepwise formation of functional neural circuits composed of distinct neuronal populations. These circuits become arranged according to an accurately controlled spatiotemporal pattern and take control of behaviors independently of the existing parental network. Since similar processes also govern the formation of more complex nervous systems in other invertebrates and vertebrates, we suggest that the basic requirements for a neuronal network to replicate were already in place at the beginning of the evolution of the nervous system.
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BibTeX
@article{sakib2026vivo,
title = {{In vivo replication of a fully functional nerve net in a clonally reproducing animal}},
author = {Ehsan Sakib and Lisa-Marie Hofacker and Christopher Noack and Finn Ströbel and Christoph Giez and Jörg Wittlieb and Alexander Klimovich and Thomas C. G. Bosch},
journal = {Communications Biology},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1038/s42003-026-11184-x},
url = {https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-026-11184-x},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - In vivo replication of a fully functional nerve net in a clonally reproducing animal
AU - Ehsan Sakib
AU - Lisa-Marie Hofacker
AU - Christopher Noack
AU - Finn Ströbel
AU - Christoph Giez
AU - Jörg Wittlieb
AU - Alexander Klimovich
AU - Thomas C. G. Bosch
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/22
JO - Communications Biology
DO - 10.1038/s42003-026-11184-x
UR - https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-026-11184-x
AB - Nerve nets are considered the evolutionarily oldest form of nervous system. How such networks develop and how complex nervous systems become fully functional is largely unknown. In a phylogenetically ancient animal, the freshwater polyp Hydra , we demonstrate how a nerve net consisting of distinct neuronal populations is precisely replicated over the course of asexual proliferation by budding. During this process, precursor cells first accumulate at the site of the emerging neural network, followed by a stepwise formation of functional neural circuits composed of distinct neuronal populations. These circuits become arranged according to an accurately controlled spatiotemporal pattern and take control of behaviors independently of the existing parental network. Since similar processes also govern the formation of more complex nervous systems in other invertebrates and vertebrates, we suggest that the basic requirements for a neuronal network to replicate were already in place at the beginning of the evolution of the nervous system.
SN - 2399-3642
ER -