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Courcelle M, Fabre PH, Douzery EJP. Phylogeny, Ecology, and Gene Families Covariation Shaped the Olfactory Subgenome of Rodents. Genome Biol Evol 2023; 15:evad197. [PMID: 37972291 PMCID: PMC10653590 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evad197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Olfactory receptor (OR) genes represent the largest multigenic family in mammalian genomes and encode proteins that bind environmental odorant molecules. The OR repertoire is extremely variable among species and is subject to many gene duplications and losses, which have been linked to ecological adaptations in mammals. Although they have been studied on a broad taxonomic scale (i.e., placental), finer sampling has rarely been explored in order to better capture the mechanisms that drove the evolution of the OR repertoire. Among placental mammals, rodents are well-suited for this task, as they exhibit diverse life history traits, and genomic data are available for most major families and a diverse array of lifestyles. In this study, 53 rodent published genomes were mined for their OR subgenomes. We retrieved more than 85,000 functional and pseudogene OR sequences that were subsequently classified into phylogenetic clusters. Copy number variation among rodents is similar to that of other mammals. Using our OR counts along with comparative phylogenetic approaches, we demonstrated that ecological niches such as diet, period of activity, and a fossorial lifestyle strongly impacted the proportion of OR pseudogenes. Within the OR subgenome, phylogenetic inertia was the main factor explaining the relative variations of the 13 OR gene families. However, a striking exception was a convergent 10-fold expansion of the OR family 14 among the phylogenetically divergent subterranean mole-rat lineages belonging to Bathyergidae and Spalacidae families. This study illustrates how the diversity of the OR repertoire has evolved among rodents, both shaped by selective forces stemming from species life history traits and neutral evolution along the rodent phylogeny.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Courcelle
- Institutdes Sciences de l’Evolution de Montpellier (ISEM), CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, Montpellier, France
| | - Pierre-Henri Fabre
- Institutdes Sciences de l’Evolution de Montpellier (ISEM), CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- Mammal Section, Life Sciences, Vertebrate Division, The Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
- Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), Section Biologie-Médecine-Santé, Paris, France
| | - Emmanuel J P Douzery
- Institutdes Sciences de l’Evolution de Montpellier (ISEM), CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
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Visual Influences on Auditory Behavioral, Neural, and Perceptual Processes: A Review. J Assoc Res Otolaryngol 2021; 22:365-386. [PMID: 34014416 PMCID: PMC8329114 DOI: 10.1007/s10162-021-00789-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 02/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
In a naturalistic environment, auditory cues are often accompanied by information from other senses, which can be redundant with or complementary to the auditory information. Although the multisensory interactions derived from this combination of information and that shape auditory function are seen across all sensory modalities, our greatest body of knowledge to date centers on how vision influences audition. In this review, we attempt to capture the state of our understanding at this point in time regarding this topic. Following a general introduction, the review is divided into 5 sections. In the first section, we review the psychophysical evidence in humans regarding vision's influence in audition, making the distinction between vision's ability to enhance versus alter auditory performance and perception. Three examples are then described that serve to highlight vision's ability to modulate auditory processes: spatial ventriloquism, cross-modal dynamic capture, and the McGurk effect. The final part of this section discusses models that have been built based on available psychophysical data and that seek to provide greater mechanistic insights into how vision can impact audition. The second section reviews the extant neuroimaging and far-field imaging work on this topic, with a strong emphasis on the roles of feedforward and feedback processes, on imaging insights into the causal nature of audiovisual interactions, and on the limitations of current imaging-based approaches. These limitations point to a greater need for machine-learning-based decoding approaches toward understanding how auditory representations are shaped by vision. The third section reviews the wealth of neuroanatomical and neurophysiological data from animal models that highlights audiovisual interactions at the neuronal and circuit level in both subcortical and cortical structures. It also speaks to the functional significance of audiovisual interactions for two critically important facets of auditory perception-scene analysis and communication. The fourth section presents current evidence for alterations in audiovisual processes in three clinical conditions: autism, schizophrenia, and sensorineural hearing loss. These changes in audiovisual interactions are postulated to have cascading effects on higher-order domains of dysfunction in these conditions. The final section highlights ongoing work seeking to leverage our knowledge of audiovisual interactions to develop better remediation approaches to these sensory-based disorders, founded in concepts of perceptual plasticity in which vision has been shown to have the capacity to facilitate auditory learning.
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Jiang M, Shi L, Li X, Dong Q, Sun H, Du Y, Zhang Y, Shao T, Cheng H, Chen W, Wang Z. Genome-wide adaptive evolution to underground stresses in subterranean mammals: Hypoxia adaption, immunity promotion, and sensory specialization. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:7377-7388. [PMID: 32760535 PMCID: PMC7391338 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2019] [Revised: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Life underground has provided remarkable examples of adaptive evolution in subterranean mammals; however, genome-wide adaptive evolution to underground stresses still needs further research. There are approximately 250 species of subterranean mammals across three suborders and six families. These species not only inhabit hypoxic and dark burrows but also exhibit evolved adaptation to hypoxia, cancer resistance, and specialized sensory systems, making them an excellent model of evolution. The adaptive evolution of subterranean mammals has attracted great attention and needs further study. In the present study, phylogenetic analysis of 5,853 single-copy orthologous gene families of five subterranean mammals (Nannospalax galili, Heterocephalus glaber, Fukomys damarensis, Condylura cristata, and Chrysochloris asiatica) showed that they formed fou distinct clusters. This result is consistent with the traditional systematics of these species. Furthermore, comparison of the high-quality genomes of these five subterranean mammalian species led to the identification of the genomic signatures of adaptive evolution. Our results show that the five subterranean mammalian did not share positively selected genes but had similar functional enrichment categories, including hypoxia tolerance, immunity promotion, and sensory specialization, which adapted to the environment of underground stresses. Moreover, variations in soil hardness, climate, and lifestyles have resulted in different molecular mechanisms of adaptation to the hypoxic environment and different degrees of visual degradation. These results provide insights into the genome-wide adaptive evolution to underground stresses in subterranean mammals, with special focus on the characteristics of hypoxia adaption, immunity promotion, and sensory specialization response to the life underground.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengwan Jiang
- School of Life SciencesZhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouChina
| | - Luye Shi
- School of Life SciencesZhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouChina
| | - Xiujuan Li
- School of Life SciencesZhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouChina
| | - Qianqian Dong
- School of Life SciencesZhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouChina
| | - Hong Sun
- School of Life SciencesZhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouChina
| | - Yimeng Du
- School of Life SciencesZhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouChina
| | - Yifeng Zhang
- School of Life SciencesZhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouChina
| | - Tian Shao
- School of Life SciencesZhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouChina
| | - Han Cheng
- School of Life SciencesZhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouChina
| | - Weihua Chen
- College of Life Science and TechnologyHuazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanChina
| | - Zhenlong Wang
- School of Life SciencesZhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouChina
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Santana NNM, Barros MAS, Medeiros HHA, Santana MAD, Silva LL, Morais PLAG, Ladd FVL, Cavalcante JS, Lima RRM, Cavalcante JC, Costa MSMO, Engelberth RCJG, Nascimento Jr. ES. The Suprachiasmatic Nucleus and the Intergeniculate Leaflet of the Flat-Faced Fruit-Eating Bat ( Artibeus planirostris): Retinal Projections and Neurochemical Anatomy. Front Neuroanat 2018; 12:36. [PMID: 29867376 PMCID: PMC5962671 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2018.00036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2017] [Accepted: 04/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
In mammals, the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) and the intergeniculate leaflet (IGL) are the main components of the circadian timing system. The SCN, classically known as the master circadian clock, generates rhythms and synchronizes them to environmental cues. The IGL is a key structure that modulates SCN activity. Strategies on the use of time by animals can provide important clues about how some species are adapted to competitive process in nature. Few studies have provided information about temporal niche in bats with special attention on the neural substrate underlies circadian rhythms. The aim of this study was to investigate these circadian centers with respect to their cytoarchitecture, chemical content and retinal projections in the flat-faced fruit-eating bat (Artibeus planirostris), a chiropteran endemic to South America. Unlike other species of phyllostomid bats, the flat-faced fruit-eating bat's peak of activity occurs 5 h after sunset. This raises several questions about the structure and function of the SCN and IGL in this species. We carried out a mapping of the retinal projections and cytoarchitectural study of the nuclei using qualitative and quantitative approaches. Based on relative optical density findings, the SCN and IGL of the flat-faced fruit-eating bat receive bilaterally symmetric retinal innervation. The SCN contains vasopressin (VP) and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) neurons with neuropeptide Y (NPY), serotonin (5-HT) and glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) immunopositive fibers/terminals and is marked by intense glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) immunoreactivity. The IGL contains NPY perikarya as well as GAD and 5-HT immunopositive terminals and is characterized by dense GFAP immunostaining. In addition, stereological tools were combined with Nissl stained sections to estimate the volumes of the circadian centers. Taken together, the present results in the flat-faced fruit-eating bat reveal some differences compared to other bat species which might explain the divergence in the hourly activity among bats in order to reduce the competitive potential and resource partitioning in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nelyane N. M. Santana
- Laboratory of Neuroanatomy, Department of Morphology, Biosciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | | | - Helder H. A. Medeiros
- Laboratory of Neuroanatomy, Department of Morphology, Biosciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Melquisedec A. D. Santana
- Laboratory of Neuroanatomy, Department of Morphology, Biosciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Lara L. Silva
- Laboratory of Neuroanatomy, Department of Morphology, Biosciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Paulo L. A. G. Morais
- Laboratory of Neuroanatomy, Department of Morphology, Biosciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Fernando V. L. Ladd
- Laboratory of Neuroanatomy, Department of Morphology, Biosciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Jeferson S. Cavalcante
- Laboratory of Neurochemical Studies, Department of Physiology, Biosciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Ruthnaldo R. M. Lima
- Laboratory of Neuroanatomy, Department of Morphology, Biosciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Judney C. Cavalcante
- Laboratory of Neuroanatomy, Department of Morphology, Biosciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Miriam S. M. O. Costa
- Laboratory of Neuroanatomy, Department of Morphology, Biosciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Rovena C. J. G. Engelberth
- Laboratory of Neurochemical Studies, Department of Physiology, Biosciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Expedito S. Nascimento Jr.
- Laboratory of Neuroanatomy, Department of Morphology, Biosciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
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5
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Selective binocular vision loss in two subterranean caviomorph rodents: Spalacopus cyanus and Ctenomys talarum. Sci Rep 2017; 7:41704. [PMID: 28150809 PMCID: PMC5288697 DOI: 10.1038/srep41704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2016] [Accepted: 12/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
To what extent can the mammalian visual system be shaped by visual behavior? Here we analyze the shape of the visual fields, the densities and distribution of cells in the retinal ganglion-cell layer and the organization of the visual projections in two species of facultative non-strictly subterranean rodents, Spalacopus cyanus and Ctenomys talarum, aiming to compare these traits with those of phylogenetically closely related species possessing contrasting diurnal/nocturnal visual habits. S. cyanus shows a definite zone of frontal binocular overlap and a corresponding area centralis, but a highly reduced amount of ipsilateral retinal projections. The situation in C. talarum is more extreme as it lacks of a fronto-ventral area of binocular superposition, has no recognizable area centralis and shows no ipsilateral retinal projections except to the suprachiasmatic nucleus. In both species, the extension of the monocular visual field and of the dorsal region of binocular overlap as well as the whole set of contralateral visual projections, appear well-developed. We conclude that these subterranean rodents exhibit, paradoxically, diurnal instead of nocturnal visual specializations, but at the same time suffer a specific regression of the anatomical substrate for stereopsis. We discuss these findings in light of the visual ecology of subterranean lifestyles.
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Stitt I, Galindo-Leon E, Pieper F, Hollensteiner KJ, Engler G, Engel AK. Auditory and visual interactions between the superior and inferior colliculi in the ferret. Eur J Neurosci 2015; 41:1311-20. [PMID: 25645363 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.12847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2014] [Revised: 12/09/2014] [Accepted: 01/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The integration of visual and auditory spatial information is important for building an accurate perception of the external world, but the fundamental mechanisms governing such audiovisual interaction have only partially been resolved. The earliest interface between auditory and visual processing pathways is in the midbrain, where the superior (SC) and inferior colliculi (IC) are reciprocally connected in an audiovisual loop. Here, we investigate the mechanisms of audiovisual interaction in the midbrain by recording neural signals from the SC and IC simultaneously in anesthetized ferrets. Visual stimuli reliably produced band-limited phase locking of IC local field potentials (LFPs) in two distinct frequency bands: 6-10 and 15-30 Hz. These visual LFP responses co-localized with robust auditory responses that were characteristic of the IC. Imaginary coherence analysis confirmed that visual responses in the IC were not volume-conducted signals from the neighboring SC. Visual responses in the IC occurred later than retinally driven superficial SC layers and earlier than deep SC layers that receive indirect visual inputs, suggesting that retinal inputs do not drive visually evoked responses in the IC. In addition, SC and IC recording sites with overlapping visual spatial receptive fields displayed stronger functional connectivity than sites with separate receptive fields, indicating that visual spatial maps are aligned across both midbrain structures. Reciprocal coupling between the IC and SC therefore probably serves the dynamic integration of visual and auditory representations of space.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iain Stitt
- Department of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Edgar Galindo-Leon
- Department of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Florian Pieper
- Department of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Karl J Hollensteiner
- Department of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Gerhard Engler
- Department of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Andreas K Engel
- Department of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
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7
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Gaillard F, Karten HJ, Sauvé Y. Retinorecipient areas in the diurnal murine rodentArvicanthis niloticus: A disproportionally large superior colliculus. J Comp Neurol 2013; 521:1699-726. [DOI: 10.1002/cne.23303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2012] [Revised: 07/01/2012] [Accepted: 01/04/2013] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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Gruters KG, Groh JM. Sounds and beyond: multisensory and other non-auditory signals in the inferior colliculus. Front Neural Circuits 2012; 6:96. [PMID: 23248584 PMCID: PMC3518932 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2012.00096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2012] [Accepted: 11/15/2012] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The inferior colliculus (IC) is a major processing center situated mid-way along both the ascending and descending auditory pathways of the brain stem. Although it is fundamentally an auditory area, the IC also receives anatomical input from non-auditory sources. Neurophysiological studies corroborate that non-auditory stimuli can modulate auditory processing in the IC and even elicit responses independent of coincident auditory stimulation. In this article, we review anatomical and physiological evidence for multisensory and other non-auditory processing in the IC. Specifically, the contributions of signals related to vision, eye movements and position, somatosensation, and behavioral context to neural activity in the IC will be described. These signals are potentially important for localizing sound sources, attending to salient stimuli, distinguishing environmental from self-generated sounds, and perceiving and generating communication sounds. They suggest that the IC should be thought of as a node in a highly interconnected sensory, motor, and cognitive network dedicated to synthesizing a higher-order auditory percept rather than simply reporting patterns of air pressure detected by the cochlea. We highlight some of the potential pitfalls that can arise from experimental manipulations that may disrupt the normal function of this network, such as the use of anesthesia or the severing of connections from cortical structures that project to the IC. Finally, we note that the presence of these signals in the IC has implications for our understanding not just of the IC but also of the multitude of other regions within and beyond the auditory system that are dependent on signals that pass through the IC. Whatever the IC “hears” would seem to be passed both “upward” to thalamus and thence to auditory cortex and beyond, as well as “downward” via centrifugal connections to earlier areas of the auditory pathway such as the cochlear nucleus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kurtis G Gruters
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University Durham, NC, USA
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9
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Bulkin DA, Groh JM. Distribution of visual and saccade related information in the monkey inferior colliculus. Front Neural Circuits 2012; 6:61. [PMID: 22973196 PMCID: PMC3433683 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2012.00061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2012] [Accepted: 08/18/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The inferior colliculus (IC) is an essential stop early in the ascending auditory pathway. Though normally thought of as a predominantly auditory structure, recent work has uncovered a variety of non-auditory influences on firing rate in the IC. Here, we map the location within the IC of neurons that respond to the onset of a fixation-guiding visual stimulus. Visual/visuomotor associated activity was found throughout the IC (overall, 84 of 199 sites tested or 42%), but with a far reduced prevalence and strength along recording penetrations passing through the tonotopically organized region of the IC, putatively the central nucleus (11 of 42 sites tested, or 26%). These results suggest that visual information has only a weak effect on early auditory processing in core regions, but more strongly targets the modulatory shell regions of the IC.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Bulkin
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University Ithaca, NY, USA
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Bulkin DA, Groh JM. Distribution of eye position information in the monkey inferior colliculus. J Neurophysiol 2011; 107:785-95. [PMID: 22031775 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00662.2011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The inferior colliculus (IC) is thought to have two main subdivisions, a central region that forms an important stop on the ascending auditory pathway and a surrounding shell region that may play a more modulatory role. In this study, we investigated whether eye position affects activity in both the central and shell regions. Accordingly, we mapped the location of eye position-sensitive neurons in six monkeys making spontaneous eye movements by sampling multiunit activity at regularly spaced intervals throughout the IC. We used a functional map based on auditory response patterns to estimate the anatomical location of recordings, in conjunction with structural MRI and histology. We found eye position-sensitive sites throughout the IC, including at 27% of sites in tonotopically organized recording penetrations (putatively the central nucleus). Recordings from surrounding tissue showed a larger proportion of sites indicating an influence of eye position (33-43%). When present, the magnitude of the change in activity due to eye position was often comparable to that seen for sound frequency. Our results indicate that the primary ascending auditory pathway is influenced by the position of the eyes. Because eye position is essential for visual-auditory integration, our findings suggest that computations underlying visual-auditory integration begin early in the ascending auditory pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Bulkin
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA.
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Morona R, López JM, González A. Localization of Calbindin-D28k and Calretinin in the Brain of Dermophis Mexicanus (Amphibia: Gymnophiona) and Its Bearing on the Interpretation of Newly Recognized Neuroanatomical Regions. BRAIN, BEHAVIOR AND EVOLUTION 2011; 77:231-69. [DOI: 10.1159/000329521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2011] [Accepted: 05/12/2011] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Petrovski DV, Novikov EA, Burns JT, Moshkin MP. WINTERTIME LOSS OF ULTRADIAN AND CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS OF BODY TEMPERATURE IN THE SUBTERRANEAN EUTHERMIC MOLE VOLE,ELLOBIUS TALPINUS. Chronobiol Int 2010; 27:879-87. [DOI: 10.3109/07420521003786792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
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Foureaux G, Egami MI, Jared C, Antoniazzi MM, Gutierre RC, Smith RL. Rudimentary Eyes of Squamate Fossorial Reptiles (Amphisbaenia and Serpentes). Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2009; 293:351-7. [DOI: 10.1002/ar.21021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Repérant J, Médina M, Ward R, Miceli D, Kenigfest N, Rio J, Vesselkin N. The evolution of the centrifugal visual system of vertebrates. A cladistic analysis and new hypotheses. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007; 53:161-97. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresrev.2006.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2006] [Revised: 08/10/2006] [Accepted: 08/21/2006] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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15
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Hunt DL, King B, Kahn DM, Yamoah EN, Shull GE, Krubitzer L. Aberrant retinal projections in congenitally deaf mice: how are phenotypic characteristics specified in development and evolution? ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2006; 287:1051-66. [PMID: 16200647 DOI: 10.1002/ar.a.20251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The contribution of sensory input to the formation of sensory system-specific (sensoritopic) connections of the thalamus and midbrain was investigated using mice lacking the Na+-K+-2Cl- cotransporter (NKCC1) or the plasma membrane Ca2+-ATPase isoform2 (PMCA2). Because these mice are congenitally deaf, the developing nervous system has no exposure to sensory-driven neural activity from the auditory system. Here we compared the retinofugal pathway in normal and congenitally deaf mice using intraocular injections of neuroanatomical tracers into each eye, and relating tracer patterns to identified thalamic nuclei and superior colliculus layers. We demonstrate that loss of such activity results in aberrant projections of the retina into nonvisual auditory structures such as the medial geniculate nucleus and the intermediate layers of the superior colliculus. These findings indicate that activity from peripheral sensory receptor arrays is necessary not only for the refinement of developing connections within a unimodal structure, but for the establishment of sensoritopic or sensory-specific connections of unimodal and multimodal structures. We hypothesize that specification of such connections may occur through the modulation of spatial expression patterns of molecules known to be involved in the development of topography of connections between brain structures, such as the ephrins, via activity-dependent, CRE-mediated gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah L Hunt
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California at Davis, Davis, California 95616, USA
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16
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Xiao J, Levitt JB, Buffenstein R. A stereotaxic atlas of the brain of the naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber). Neuroscience 2006; 141:1415-35. [PMID: 16793211 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2006.03.077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2005] [Revised: 03/27/2006] [Accepted: 03/27/2006] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
The naked mole-rat (Rodentia, Bathyergidae: Heterocephalus glaber) is a strictly subterranean eusocial mammal. These rodents show a suite of morphological and physiological adaptations, including brain specializations, to this underground milieu that they have inhabited since the early Miocene. Recently, naked mole-rats have received considerable attention as the longest living rodent known, and some of these brain specializations may be potentially important to their exceptional longevity. To serve as a basis for future brain studies, we have constructed a stereotaxic atlas of the brain of this species, labeling all major brain structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Xiao
- Department of Biology J526, City College of the City University of New York, 138th Street and Convent Avenue, New York, NY 10031, USA
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17
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Nikitina NV, Maughan-Brown B, O'Riain MJ, Kidson SH. Postnatal development of the eye in the naked mole rat (Heterocephalus glaber). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2004; 277:317-37. [PMID: 15052660 DOI: 10.1002/ar.a.20025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The naked mole rat (Heterocephalus glaber) is a subterranean rodent whose eyes are thought to be visually nonfunctional and as such is an ideal animal with which to pursue questions in evolutionary developmental biology. This report is the first in-depth study on the development and morphology of the naked mole rat eye. Using standard histological analysis and scanning and transmission electron microscopy, we describe the structural features of the eye. We further report on the morphological changes that accompany the development of this eye from neonate to adult and compare them with those that occur during mouse eye development. We observed numerous abnormalities in the shape and cellular arrangement of the structures of the anterior chamber, with notable malformations of the lens. Cell proliferation and cell death assays were conducted to investigate the possible causes of lens malformation. We found that neither of these processes appeared abnormal, indicating that they were not responsible for the lens phenotype of the mole rat. In order to investigate the process of lens differentiation, we analyzed the expression of gamma-crystallins using Western blots and immunocytochemistry. At birth, levels of gamma-crystallin appear normal, but soon thereafter, the gamma-crystallin expression is terminated. Absence of detectable gamma-crystallins in adults suggests that there is a gradual degradation and loss of these proteins. The evolutionary factors that could be responsible for the eye morphology of the naked mole rat are discussed. A model for abnormal lens differentiation and the role it plays in the morphogenesis of the rest of the eye in the naked mole rats is proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalya V Nikitina
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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Nemec P, Burda H, Peichl L. Subcortical visual system of the African mole-rat Cryptomys anselli: to see or not to see? Eur J Neurosci 2004; 20:757-68. [PMID: 15255986 DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2004.03510.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Abstract We studied the retinal projections, the distribution of cytochrome oxidase activity and the cyto- and myeloarchitecture of the subcortical visual system in the subterranean Ansell's mole-rat Cryptomys anselli. The optic nerve contained 1500 myelinated and a similar number of unmyelinated fibres. The retina projected to all the visual structures described in surface-dwelling sighted rodents. The suprachiasmatic nucleus was large and received bilateral retinal input. All other visual nuclei were reduced in size, were cytoarchitecturally poorly developed and received almost exclusively contralateral retinal projections. The dorsal and ventral lateral geniculate nuclei were moderately reduced and heavily innervated. The intergeniculate leaflet could be identified between these two nuclei. Pretectal nuclei were also relatively well-developed. The nucleus of the optic tract, the olivary pretectal nucleus, and the anterior and posterior pretectal nuclei were innervated by the retina. By contrast, the superficial, retinorecipient layers of the superior colliculus showed extreme reduction. The strata zonale, griseum superficiale and opticum were collapsed to a single layer 40 micro m thick. The accessory optic system was vestigial. These findings indicate that the functional subsystems involved in photoperiod perception, form and brightness discrimination, and movement analysis are anatomically rather well developed, whereas those involved in coordination of visuomotor reflexes are severely reduced. Thus, the visual system of C. anselli is much better developed than that of the blind mole-rat Spalax ehrenbergi. We suggest that Cryptomys anselli has retained basic visual capabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavel Nemec
- Department of Zoology, Charles University, Vinicná 7, CZ-128 44 Praha 2, Czech Republic.
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Abstract
Following intraocular injection of cholera toxin subunit B (CTB), optic afferents to the dorsal pontine region were observed in Mongolian gerbils, Chilean degus, and laboratory rats. CTB-positive optic axons emerge at the caudal pole of the superior colliculus, descend through the periaqueductal gray, and innervate the lateral parabrachial nucleus. This projection appears to be a continuation of the retinal pathway that innervates the dorsal raphe nucleus in these same species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine V Fite
- Neuroscience and Behavior Program, Tobin Hall, University of Massachusetts, Amherst 01003, USA.
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Abstract
Unlike in birds and cold-blooded vertebrates' retinas, the photoreceptors of mammalian retinas were long supposed to be morphologically uniform and difficult to distinguish into subtypes. A number of new techniques have now begun to overcome the previous limitations. A hitherto unexpected variability of spectral and morphological subtypes and topographic patterns of distribution in the various retinas are being revealed. We begin to understand the design of the photoreceptor mosaics, the constraints of evolutionary history and the ecological specialization of these mosaics in all the mammalian subgroups. The review discusses current cytological identification of mammalian photoreceptor types and speculates on the likely "bottleneck-scenario" for the origin of the basic design of the mammalian retina. It then provides a brief synopsis of current data on the photoreceptors in the various mammalian orders and derives some trends for phenomena such as rod/cone dualism, spectral range, preservation or loss of double cones and oil droplets, photopigment co-expression and mono- and tri-chromacy. Finally, we attempt to demonstrate that, building on the limits of an ancient rod dominant (probably dichromatic) model, mammalian retinas have developed considerable radiation. Comparing the nonprimate models with the intensively studied primate model should provide us with a deeper understanding of the basic design of the mammalian retina.
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Affiliation(s)
- P K Ahnelt
- Institut für Physiologie, Medizinische Fakultät, Universität Wien, Wien, Austria.
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21
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Abstract
A direct pathway from the retina to the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) has been demonstrated in both albino rats and Mongolian gerbils. Following intraocular injection of cholera toxin subunit B (CTB), a diffuse stream of CTB-positive, fine-caliber optic axons emerged from the optic tract at the level of the pretectum/anterior mesencephalon. In gerbils, CTB-positive axons descended ventromedially into the periaqueductal gray, moving caudally and arborizing extensively throughout the DRN. In rats, the retinal-DRN projection comprised fewer, but larger caliber, axons, which arborized in a relatively restricted region of the lateral and ventral DRN. Following injection of CTB into the lateral DRN, retrogradely labeled ganglion cells (GCs) were observed in whole-mount retinas of both species. In gerbils, CTB-positive GCs were distributed over the entire retina, and a nearest-neighbor analysis of CTB-positive GCs showed significant regularity (nonrandomness) in their distribution. The overall distribution of gerbil GC soma diameters ranged from 8 to 22 micrometer and was skewed slightly towards the larger soma diameters. Based on an adaptive mixtures model statistical analysis, two Gaussian distributions appeared to comprise the total GC distribution, with mean soma diameters of 13 (SEM +/-1.7) micrometer, and 17 (SEM +/-1.5) micrometer, respectively. In rats, many fewer CTB-positive GCs were labeled following CTB injections into the lateral DRN, and nearly all occurred in the inferior retina. The total distribution of rat GC soma diameters was similar to that in gerbils and also was skewed towards the larger soma diameters. Major differences observed in the extent and configuration of the retinal-DRN pathway may be related to the diurnal/crepuscular vs. nocturnal habits of these two species.
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Affiliation(s)
- K V Fite
- Neuroscience and Behavior Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, USA.
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Rosa MG, Krubitzer LA, Molnár Z, Nelson JE. Organization of visual cortex in the northern quoll, Dasyurus hallucatus: evidence for a homologue of the second visual area in marsupials. Eur J Neurosci 1999; 11:907-15. [PMID: 10103084 DOI: 10.1046/j.1460-9568.1999.00497.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Two visual areas, V1 and V2 (first and second visual areas), appear to be present in the posterior neocortex of all eutherian mammals investigated so far. However, previous studies have not established whether an area homologous to V2 also exists in metatherian mammals (marsupials). Using electrophysiological techniques, we mapped the visual receptive fields of neurons in the striate and peristriate cortices of the northern quoll, an Australian marsupial. We found that neurons in a 2-mm-wide strip of cortex rostrolateral to V1 form a single, relatively simple representation of the complete contralateral hemifield. This area resembles V2 of eutherians in several respects: (i) neurons in the medial half of the peristriate area represent the lower visual quadrant, whereas those in the lateral half represent the upper visual quadrant; (ii) the vertical meridian of the visual field is represented adjacent to V1, while the visual field periphery is represented along the lateral and rostrolateral borders of the peristriate area; (iii) there is a marked anisotropy in the representation, with a larger magnification factor parallel to the V1 border than perpendicular to this border; and (iv) receptive fields of multiunit clusters in the peristriate cortex are much larger than those of cells in V1 at comparable eccentricities. The cortex immediately rostral and lateral to V2 did not respond to visual stimulation under our recording conditions. These results suggest that V1 and V2 together form a 'core' of homologous visual areas, likely to exist in all therian mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- M G Rosa
- Vision, Touch and Hearing Research Centre, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Queensland, QLD 4072, Australia.
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Negroni J, Nevo E, Cooper HM. Neuropeptidergic organization of the suprachiasmatic nucleus in the blind mole rat (Spalax ehrenbergi). Brain Res Bull 1997; 44:633-9. [PMID: 9365809 DOI: 10.1016/s0361-9230(97)00306-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The blind mole rat, Spalax, is a subterranean rodent with atrophied, subcutaneous eyes. Whereas most of the visual system is highly degenerated, the retino-hypothalamic pathway in this species has remained intact. Although Spalax is considered to be visually blind, circadian locomotor rhythms are entrained by the light/dark cycle. In the present study we used anterograde tracing techniques to demonstrate retinal afferents to the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) and immunohistochemistry to examine the distribution of neuropeptides that are known to be involved in the regulation or expression of circadian rhythmicity. Based on the localization of retinal afferents and neuropeptides, the SCN can be divided into two subdivisions. The ventral region, which receives retinal afferents, also contains vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP)-containing neurons, and fibers that are immunopositive to neuropeptide Y (NPY) and serotonin (5-HT). The dorsal region contains vasopressinergic neurons, but this latter cell population is extremely sparse compared to that described in other rodents. The dorsal region is also characterized by numerous VIP-immunoreactive fibers. The presence of NPY and 5-HT fibers suggests that the SCN receives afferent projections from the intergeniculate leaflet and from the raphe nuclei, respectively. These neuroanatomical results, together with previous studies of behavior, visual tract tracing, and immediate early gene expression, confirm that an endogenous clock and the capacity for light entrainment of circadian rhythms are conserved in the blind mole rat.
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Herbin M, Rio JP, Repérant J, Cooper HM, Nevo E, Lemire M. Ultrastructural study of the optic nerve in blind mole-rats (Spalacidae, Spalax). Vis Neurosci 1995; 12:253-61. [PMID: 7786846 DOI: 10.1017/s0952523800007938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
The optic nerve in two species of subterranean mole-rats (Spalacidae) has been examined at the ultrastructural level. The axial length of the eye and the diameter of the optic nerve are 1.9 mm and 52.5 microns in Spalax leucodon, and 0.7 mm and 80.8 microns in Spalax ehrenbergi, respectively. An anti-glial fibrillary acidic protein postembedding procedure was used to distinguish glial cell processes from axons. In both species, the optic nerve is composed exclusively of unmyelinated axons and a spatial distribution gradient according to the size or the density of fibers is lacking. The optic nerve of S. leucodon contains 1790 fibers ranging in diameter from 0.07-2.30 microns (mean = 0.57 microns), whereas in S. ehrenbergi, only 928 fibers, with diameters of 0.04-1.77 microns (mean = 0.53 microns) are observed. In S. ehrenbergi, a higher proportion of glial tissue is present and the fascicular organization of optic fibers is less obvious. Distribution gradients according to size frequency or density of fibers in the optic nerve are absent in both species. Comparison with other mammals suggests that although ocular regression in microphthalmic species is correlated with a significant decrease in the total number of optic fibers and the relative proportion of myelinated fibers, no difference in the absolute size range of unmyelinated axons is observed. The total absence of myelinated fibers in Spalax may be related to the subcutaneous location of the eyes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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Affiliation(s)
- M Herbin
- I.N.S.E.R.M. U-106, Hôpital de la Salpêtrière, Paris, France
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Cooper HM, Parvopassu F, Herbin M, Magnin M. Neuroanatomical pathways linking vision and olfaction in mammals. Psychoneuroendocrinology 1994; 19:623-39. [PMID: 7938360 DOI: 10.1016/0306-4530(94)90046-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Retinal projections to several telencephalic structures have been demonstrated in a wide range of mammalian species following intraocular injections of tritiated amino acids and cholera toxin subunit-B conjugated to horseradish peroxidase. Since these regions are also innervated by olfactory fibers, we investigated the distribution of convergent projections using simultaneous injections of different anterograde tracers in the eye and olfactory bulbs. Convergent projections from the retina and from the olfactory bulbs were observed in the piriform cortex, olfactory tubercle, the cortical region of the medial amygdala, lateral hypothalamus, and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. A few retinal fibers also invade the nucleus of the lateral olfactory tract, the bed nucleus of the accessory olfactory bulb and the diagonal band of Broca. Injections of retrograde tracers in the medial amygdala, the bed nucleus or the lateral hypothalamus shows that the visuo-olfactory convergence mainly involves projections originating from the accessory olfactory bulb, and to a lesser extent from the ventromedial region of the main olfactory bulb. Fewer than 20 retinotelencephalic ganglion cells were identified in the retina, mainly located contralateral to the injection site. Ganglion cells were medium sized and possessed two long slender opposing dendrites. These retinal and olfactory projections could provide an anatomical substrate for the modulation of gonadotropin hormone levels and the olfactory influence on light mediated rhythms related to reproductive physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- H M Cooper
- Cerveau et Vision, INSERM U-371, Bron, France
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