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COMPARATIVE THALAMIC FOXP2 EXPRESSION REVEALS EVOLUTIONARY PATTERNS RELEVANT TO LANGUAGE NETWORKS
María de la Fuenteand 10 co-authors
Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
FENS Forum 2026 (2026)
Barcelona, Spain
Board PS06-09PM-505
Presentation
Date TBA
Board: PS06-09PM-505
Event Information
Poster Board
PS06-09PM-505
Poster
View posterAbstract
FOXP2 is a transcription factor involved in the development of brain circuits related to speech and language. These functions take place, among other structures, in the thalamus, with the most involved nuclei being the anterior ventral (VA), ventrolateral (VL), intralaminar, and pulvinar nuclei. The reticular, mediodorsal (MD) and midline nuclei are indirectly related, as they coordinate functions such as memory, attention and executive functions.
To investigate the functional organization of these circuits, a comparative study of thalamic FoxP2 expression was performed in mice, rats, and macaques.
FoxP2 is expressed in most thalamic nuclei across species, with consistent absence in the reticular nucleus and zona incerta. Expression is highest in midline and intralaminar nuclei, while anterior nuclei show low and variable levels. Macaques display broader and stronger expression, particularly in associative thalamic regions, suggesting increased specialization of thalamocortical pathways in primates.
These patterns support a conserved role for FoxP2 in organizing thalamic circuits involved in sensorimotor integration, cognition, and language, and indicate that enhanced expression in primates may have contributed to the evolution of speech- and language-related neural networks.
To investigate the functional organization of these circuits, a comparative study of thalamic FoxP2 expression was performed in mice, rats, and macaques.
FoxP2 is expressed in most thalamic nuclei across species, with consistent absence in the reticular nucleus and zona incerta. Expression is highest in midline and intralaminar nuclei, while anterior nuclei show low and variable levels. Macaques display broader and stronger expression, particularly in associative thalamic regions, suggesting increased specialization of thalamocortical pathways in primates.
These patterns support a conserved role for FoxP2 in organizing thalamic circuits involved in sensorimotor integration, cognition, and language, and indicate that enhanced expression in primates may have contributed to the evolution of speech- and language-related neural networks.
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