Deciphering the Genetic Code of Neuronal Type Connectivity: A Bilinear Modeling Approach

Abstract

Understanding how different neuronal types connect and communicate is critical to interpreting brain function and behavior. However, it has remained a formidable challenge to decipher the genetic underpinnings that dictate the specific connections formed between pre- and post-synaptic neuronal types. To address this, we propose a novel bilinear modeling approach that leverages the architecture similar to that of recommendation systems. Our model transforms the gene expressions of mouse bipolar cells (presynaptic) and retinal ganglion cells (postsynaptic), obtained from single-cell transcriptomics, into a covariance matrix. The objective is to construct this covariance matrix that closely mirrors a connectivity matrix, derived from connectomic data, reflecting the known anatomical connections between these neuronal types. Our model successfully recaptiulates recognized connectivity motifs and provides interpretable insights into genetic interactions that shape the connectivity. Specifically, it identifies unique genetic signatures associated with different connectivity motifs, including genes important to cell-cell adhesion and synapse formation, highlighting their role in orchestrating specific synaptic connections between these neurons. Our work establishes an innovative computational strategy for decoding the genetic programming of neuronal type connectivity. It not only sets a new benchmark for single-cell transcriptomic analysis of synaptic connections but also paves the way for mechanistic studies of neural circuit assembly and genetic manipulation of circuit wiring.