Published today in the journal Science, the Brain Atlas resource is the latest database to be released by the Human Protein Atlas program. The brain is the most complex organ of our body both in structure and function, and a dedicated brain atlas has therefore been created combining data from the human brain with corresponding information about the brain of pig and mouse.

Published today in the journal Science, the Brain Atlas resource is the latest database to be released by the Human Protein Atlas program. The brain is the most complex organ of our body both in structure and function, and a dedicated brain atlas has therefore been created combining data from the human brain with corresponding information about the brain of pig and mouse. The Brain Atlas resource is based on the analysis of nearly 1,900 brain samples covering 27 brain regions in three species. The study shows that the blue print for the brain is shared among mammals, but the new map also reveals interesting differences between the brains of human, pig and mouse. Several molecular components of neurotransmitter systems show a different pattern in humans and mice which means that caution should be taken when selecting animals as models for human mental and neurological disorders.

The project was a combined effort of SciLifeLab (Sweden), the KTH-Royal Institute of Technology, Karolinska Institutet, Uppsala University, Aarhus University (Denmark) and BGI-Shenzhen & BGI-Qingdao (China). The main funding for the research was provided by the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation.

Read the full article: Sjöstedt et al (2020) "An atlas of the protein-coding genes in human, pig and mouse brain" Science 367

Press release

Jan Mulder and Mathias Uhlen