Ancient somatosensory circuit architectures employ flexible molecular strategies
Abstract
The extent to which conserved neural circuit architectures depend on shared molecular specification programs remains unclear. Here, we address this question by examining the somatosensory system of the little skate, Leucoraja erinacea, an early-diverging vertebrate that retains ancestral features of both finned and limb-based body plans. We show that core features of somatosensory circuit organization, including laminar organization of the spinal cord and dorsally restricted targeting of sensory afferents, are deeply conserved. Unexpectedly, the molecular programs specifying dorsal root ganglion (DRG) sensory subtypes diverge extensively from those of mammals. Although DRG neuron subtype specification and spinal connectivity rely on target-derived cues, skates employ distinct neurotrophin receptor and transcription factor identity codes. These findings support a model in which conserved spinal circuit architectures provide a stable scaffold that leverages flexible sensory neuron specification programs, enabling the evolutionary diversification of vertebrate somatosensory systems.
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BibTeX
@article{lee2026ancient,
title = {{Ancient somatosensory circuit architectures employ flexible molecular strategies}},
author = {Hyemin Lee and Paul W. Frazel and Elena Singer-Freeman and Anne E. Cavanagh and Hanshin D. Shin and Kalina Rice and Shanmugapriya Selvaraj and Mark Alu and Heebal Kim and Cynthia Loomis and Shane A. Liddelow and Myungin Baek and Jeremy S. Dasen},
journal = {iScience},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1016/j.isci.2026.117919},
url = {https://www.cell.com/iscience/fulltext/S2589-0042(26)03302-X},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Ancient somatosensory circuit architectures employ flexible molecular strategies
AU - Hyemin Lee
AU - Paul W. Frazel
AU - Elena Singer-Freeman
AU - Anne E. Cavanagh
AU - Hanshin D. Shin
AU - Kalina Rice
AU - Shanmugapriya Selvaraj
AU - Mark Alu
AU - Heebal Kim
AU - Cynthia Loomis
AU - Shane A. Liddelow
AU - Myungin Baek
AU - Jeremy S. Dasen
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/14
JO - iScience
DO - 10.1016/j.isci.2026.117919
UR - https://www.cell.com/iscience/fulltext/S2589-0042(26)03302-X
AB - The extent to which conserved neural circuit architectures depend on shared molecular specification programs remains unclear. Here, we address this question by examining the somatosensory system of the little skate, Leucoraja erinacea, an early-diverging vertebrate that retains ancestral features of both finned and limb-based body plans. We show that core features of somatosensory circuit organization, including laminar organization of the spinal cord and dorsally restricted targeting of sensory afferents, are deeply conserved. Unexpectedly, the molecular programs specifying dorsal root ganglion (DRG) sensory subtypes diverge extensively from those of mammals. Although DRG neuron subtype specification and spinal connectivity rely on target-derived cues, skates employ distinct neurotrophin receptor and transcription factor identity codes. These findings support a model in which conserved spinal circuit architectures provide a stable scaffold that leverages flexible sensory neuron specification programs, enabling the evolutionary diversification of vertebrate somatosensory systems.
SN - 2589-0042
ER -