Sharp cell-type-identity changes differentiate the retrosplenial cortex from the neocortex

Abstract

The laminae of the neocortex are fundamental processing layers of the mammalian brain. Notably, such laminae are believed to be relatively stereotyped across short spatial scales, such that shared laminae between nearby brain regions exhibit similar constituent cells. Here, we considered a potential exception to this rule by studying the retrosplenial cortex (RSC), a brain region known for sharp cytoarchitectonic differences across its granular-dysgranular border. Using a variety of transcriptomics techniques, we identified, spatially mapped, and interpreted the excitatory cell-type landscape of the mouse RSC. In doing so, we surprisingly uncovered that RSC gene expression and cell types change sharply at the granular-dysgranular border. Additionally, supposedly homologous laminae between the RSC and neocortex are effectively wholly distinct in their cell-type composition. In collection, the RSC exhibits a variety of intrinsic cell-type specializations, and embodies a new neocortical organizational principle wherein cell-type identities vary sharply within and between brain regions.