Brain network hubs are both highly connected and highly inter-connected, forming a critical
communication backbone for coherent neural dynamics. The mechanisms driving this
organization are poorly understood. Using diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging
in twins, we identify a major role for genes, showing that they preferentially influence connectivity strength between network hubs of the human connectome. Using transcriptomic
atlas data, we show that connected hubs demonstrate tight ...
Brain network hubs are both highly connected and highly inter-connected, forming a critical
communication backbone for coherent neural dynamics. The mechanisms driving this
organization are poorly understood. Using diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging
in twins, we identify a major role for genes, showing that they preferentially influence connectivity strength between network hubs of the human connectome. Using transcriptomic
atlas data, we show that connected hubs demonstrate tight coupling of transcriptional activity
related to metabolic and cytoarchitectonic similarity. Finally, comparing over thirteen
generative models of network growth, we show that purely stochastic processes cannot
explain the precise wiring patterns of hubs, and that model performance can be improved
by incorporating genetic constraints. Our findings indicate that genes play a strong and
preferential role in shaping the functionally valuable, metabolically costly connections
between connectome hubs.
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