Sensory systems share common circuit organization motifs across mammalian species; however, anatomical subdivisions show varying degrees of complexity depending on ecological niche and species-specific sensory requirements. While neuroanatomical connections seem preserved within the visual system, it remains unknown if molecularly defined cell-types share a similar degree of conservation, regarding not only their functional properties but also connectivity. Here we analyze the organization, molecular marker expression, and connections between two prominent visual centers, the superior colliculus (SC) and the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus of the thalamus (dLGN), in the mouse and the tree shrew, a highly visual, diurnal species closely related to primates. Previous attempts to link molecular markers to subdivisions and connectivity of the dLGN have shown lack of conservation across species, thus preventing the systematic investigation of brain-wide interactions involved in vision. Leveraging recent single-cell and single-nucleus RNA sequencing studies, our results unravel a conserved molecular marker that shows spatial restriction in the dLGN and correlates with the location of connections from the SC in both the mouse and the tree shrew of either sex. We extend our findings by confirming the presence of this molecular marker in the human dLGN. These results provide a molecular definition and genetic access point for subdivisions of the dLGN in the mouse and tree shrew, enabling cell-type specific studies of the parallel processing of visual information.
Electrophysiological phenotype is widely used to characterize neuronal identity, but the phenotype measured from a neuron depends on how its intrinsic physiology is probed. Here, we asked which aspects of cellular electrophysiological organization persist across distinct response regimes and how this persistence relates to transcriptomic identity. Using matched Patch-seq measurements from visual cortical GABAergic neurons in male and female mice, we constructed phenotype spaces independently from long-pulse, ramp, and brief-pulse current-clamp responses and compared their organization across the same cells. Cell-level phenotypic relationships were only partially conserved across regimes: cell–cell phenotypic distances were positively correlated across regimes but far from identity, and local neighborhoods reorganized even where global rank structure was partly conserved. Despite this flexibility, transcriptomic type consistently anchored phenotype beyond coarse Cre-driver identity. At the type level, phenotypic relationships were markedly more conserved across regimes, forming a shared relational backbone with a smaller set of regime-selective rewrites. Transcriptomic distance preferentially tracked this shared type-level structure rather than the magnitude of regime-selective reorganization, and predefined excitability-related gene programs showed the same asymmetry. Together, these results reveal a scale-dependent stability of neuronal phenotype: individual cellular relationships are flexible across probes, whereas type-level biological organization is comparatively stable and more strongly reflected in transcriptomic structure. Significance Statement Electrophysiological properties are often treated as characteristics of neuronal identity, but the phenotype measured from a neuron depends on how that neuron is stimulated. By comparing multiple current-clamp response regimes in the same Patch-seq cells, we show that individual cellular relationships can reorganize substantially while relationships among transcriptomic cell types remain comparatively stable. Transcriptomic similarity preferentially corresponds to this shared type-level structure rather than to regime-dependent changes. These results suggest that cellular phenotype contains both a flexible, probe-dependent expression and a more stable biological organization, clarifying how electrophysiological and transcriptomic descriptions of neuronal identity relate across measurement conditions.
Self-monitoring in decision-making is a hallmark of self-improvement in cognitive processes. To enhance outcomes in future decisions, individuals must accurately assess the correctness of prior choices and apply the information to control subsequent decisions. Although metacognition encompasses monitoring and control functions, the neural mechanisms underlying these processes and their relationships remain unclear. Furthermore, while the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is implicated in both functions, their distinct neural substrates and interrelations require further elucidation. In this study, we employed a sequential perceptual decision-making task with confidence ratings to examine how initial confidence influences subsequent decisions while recording neural activity using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Subjects (female and male) performed a visual discrimination of two different-sized stimuli and subsequently rated their decision confidence. Behavioral results showed that subjects were more likely to change their choices between initial and subsequent decisions according to confidence levels. A signature of confidence (confidence magnitude) in initial decisions was observed primarily in the anterior medial PFC (amPFC). In contrast, the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) exhibited higher neural activity related to changes of their initial choice at subsequent decisions. Furthermore, the pregenual ACC (pgACC) was associated with both processes, and it exhibited effective connectivity with the amPFC and dACC. These findings suggest that the medial PFC plays a role in integrating metacognitive monitoring and subsequent control in the sequential decision-making processes. Significance Statement Metacognition, encompassing monitoring and control, is fundamental to self-regulation and sequential decision-making. Despite their distinct roles, the neural mechanisms of how monitoring connects to subsequent control remain unclear. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we reveal distinct yet interconnected medial prefrontal regions that support metacognitive processes. Specifically, the anterior medial prefrontal cortex encodes confidence in initial decisions, while the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex supports changes of mind. Effective connectivity analysis indicates that the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex integrates these processes. These findings advance our understanding of medial prefrontal mechanisms underlying adaptive self-regulation, with implications for addressing disorders characterized by impaired behavioral control.
