Generating brain-wide connectome using synthetic axonal morphologies

Abstract Recent experimental advancements, including electron microscopy reconstructions, have produced detailed connectivity data for local brain regions. On the other hand, for inter-regional connectivity, large-scale imaging techniques such as MRI are best suited to provide insights. However, und...

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Main Authors: Remy Petkantchin, Adrien Berchet, Hanchuan Peng, Henry Markram, Lida Kanari
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-07-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-62030-3
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author Remy Petkantchin
Adrien Berchet
Hanchuan Peng
Henry Markram
Lida Kanari
author_facet Remy Petkantchin
Adrien Berchet
Hanchuan Peng
Henry Markram
Lida Kanari
author_sort Remy Petkantchin
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Recent experimental advancements, including electron microscopy reconstructions, have produced detailed connectivity data for local brain regions. On the other hand, for inter-regional connectivity, large-scale imaging techniques such as MRI are best suited to provide insights. However, understanding the relationship between local and long-range connectivity is essential for studying both healthy and pathological conditions of the brain. Leveraging a dataset of whole-brain axonal reconstructions, we present a technique to predict whole-brain connectivity at single cell level for pyramidal cells in the cortex by generating detailed whole-brain axonal morphologies from sparse experimental data. The computationally generated axons accurately reproduce the local and global morphological properties of experimental reconstructions. Furthermore, the computationally synthesized axons generate large-scale inter-regional connectivity, defining the projectome and the connectome of the brain, thereby enabling the in silico experimentation of large brain regions.
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issn 2041-1723
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publisher Nature Portfolio
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spelling doaj-art-c23bf25306a2433db0d94fae6d6aa7292025-08-20T03:05:05ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-07-0116111110.1038/s41467-025-62030-3Generating brain-wide connectome using synthetic axonal morphologiesRemy Petkantchin0Adrien Berchet1Hanchuan Peng2Henry Markram3Lida Kanari4Blue Brain Project, EPFLBlue Brain Project, EPFLNew Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Institute for Brain and Intelligence, Fudan UniversityBlue Brain Project, EPFLBlue Brain Project, EPFLAbstract Recent experimental advancements, including electron microscopy reconstructions, have produced detailed connectivity data for local brain regions. On the other hand, for inter-regional connectivity, large-scale imaging techniques such as MRI are best suited to provide insights. However, understanding the relationship between local and long-range connectivity is essential for studying both healthy and pathological conditions of the brain. Leveraging a dataset of whole-brain axonal reconstructions, we present a technique to predict whole-brain connectivity at single cell level for pyramidal cells in the cortex by generating detailed whole-brain axonal morphologies from sparse experimental data. The computationally generated axons accurately reproduce the local and global morphological properties of experimental reconstructions. Furthermore, the computationally synthesized axons generate large-scale inter-regional connectivity, defining the projectome and the connectome of the brain, thereby enabling the in silico experimentation of large brain regions.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-62030-3
spellingShingle Remy Petkantchin
Adrien Berchet
Hanchuan Peng
Henry Markram
Lida Kanari
Generating brain-wide connectome using synthetic axonal morphologies
Nature Communications
title Generating brain-wide connectome using synthetic axonal morphologies
title_full Generating brain-wide connectome using synthetic axonal morphologies
title_fullStr Generating brain-wide connectome using synthetic axonal morphologies
title_full_unstemmed Generating brain-wide connectome using synthetic axonal morphologies
title_short Generating brain-wide connectome using synthetic axonal morphologies
title_sort generating brain wide connectome using synthetic axonal morphologies
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-62030-3
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AT adrienberchet generatingbrainwideconnectomeusingsyntheticaxonalmorphologies
AT hanchuanpeng generatingbrainwideconnectomeusingsyntheticaxonalmorphologies
AT henrymarkram generatingbrainwideconnectomeusingsyntheticaxonalmorphologies
AT lidakanari generatingbrainwideconnectomeusingsyntheticaxonalmorphologies