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Benavides-Piccione R, Blazquez-Llorca L, Kastanauskaite A, Fernaud-Espinosa I, Tapia-González S, DeFelipe J. Key morphological features of human pyramidal neurons. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae180. [PMID: 38745556 PMCID: PMC11094408 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2024] [Revised: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
The basic building block of the cerebral cortex, the pyramidal cell, has been shown to be characterized by a markedly different dendritic structure among layers, cortical areas, and species. Functionally, differences in the structure of their dendrites and axons are critical in determining how neurons integrate information. However, within the human cortex, these neurons have not been quantified in detail. In the present work, we performed intracellular injections of Lucifer Yellow and 3D reconstructed over 200 pyramidal neurons, including apical and basal dendritic and local axonal arbors and dendritic spines, from human occipital primary visual area and associative temporal cortex. We found that human pyramidal neurons from temporal cortex were larger, displayed more complex apical and basal structural organization, and had more spines compared to those in primary sensory cortex. Moreover, these human neocortical neurons displayed specific shared and distinct characteristics in comparison to previously published human hippocampal pyramidal neurons. Additionally, we identified distinct morphological features in human neurons that set them apart from mouse neurons. Lastly, we observed certain consistent organizational patterns shared across species. This study emphasizes the existing diversity within pyramidal cell structures across different cortical areas and species, suggesting substantial species-specific variations in their computational properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Benavides-Piccione
- Laboratorio Cajal de Circuitos Corticales, Centro de Tecnología Biomédica, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid 28223, Spain
- Instituto Cajal, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Avda. Doctor Arce 37, Madrid 28002, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), ISCIII, Valderrebollo 5, Madrid 28031, Spain
| | - Lidia Blazquez-Llorca
- Laboratorio Cajal de Circuitos Corticales, Centro de Tecnología Biomédica, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid 28223, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), ISCIII, Valderrebollo 5, Madrid 28031, Spain
- Departamento de Tecnología Fotónica y Bioingeniería, ETSI Telecomunicación, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid 28040, Spain
| | - Asta Kastanauskaite
- Laboratorio Cajal de Circuitos Corticales, Centro de Tecnología Biomédica, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid 28223, Spain
| | - Isabel Fernaud-Espinosa
- Instituto Cajal, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Avda. Doctor Arce 37, Madrid 28002, Spain
| | - Silvia Tapia-González
- Laboratorio de Neurofisiología Celular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad San Pablo-CEU, CEU Universities, Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier DeFelipe
- Laboratorio Cajal de Circuitos Corticales, Centro de Tecnología Biomédica, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid 28223, Spain
- Instituto Cajal, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Avda. Doctor Arce 37, Madrid 28002, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), ISCIII, Valderrebollo 5, Madrid 28031, Spain
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Benavides-Piccione R, Rojo C, Kastanauskaite A, DeFelipe J. Variation in Pyramidal Cell Morphology Across the Human Anterior Temporal Lobe. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:3592-3609. [PMID: 33723567 PMCID: PMC8258433 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Revised: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Pyramidal neurons are the most abundant and characteristic neuronal type in the cerebral cortex and their dendritic spines are the main postsynaptic elements of cortical excitatory synapses. Previous studies have shown that pyramidal cell structure differs across layers, cortical areas, and species. However, within the human cortex, the pyramidal dendritic morphology has been quantified in detail in relatively few cortical areas. In the present work, we performed intracellular injections of Lucifer Yellow at several distances from the temporal pole. We found regional differences in pyramidal cell morphology, which showed large inter-individual variability in most of the morphological variables measured. However, some values remained similar in all cases. The smallest and least complex cells in the most posterior temporal region showed the greatest dendritic spine density. Neurons in the temporal pole showed the greatest sizes with the highest number of spines. Layer V cells were larger, more complex, and had a greater number of dendritic spines than those in layer III. The present results suggest that, while some aspects of pyramidal structure are conserved, there are specific variations across cortical regions, and species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Benavides-Piccione
- Instituto Cajal, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid 28002, Spain.,Laboratorio Cajal de Circuitos Corticales, Centro de Tecnología Biomédica, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid 28223, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), ISCIII, Madrid 28031, Spain
| | - Concepcion Rojo
- Sección Departamental de Anatomía y Embriología, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid 28040, Spain
| | - Asta Kastanauskaite
- Instituto Cajal, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid 28002, Spain.,Laboratorio Cajal de Circuitos Corticales, Centro de Tecnología Biomédica, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid 28223, Spain
| | - Javier DeFelipe
- Instituto Cajal, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid 28002, Spain.,Laboratorio Cajal de Circuitos Corticales, Centro de Tecnología Biomédica, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid 28223, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), ISCIII, Madrid 28031, Spain
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Hanson KL, Hrvoj-Mihic B, Semendeferi K. A dual comparative approach: integrating lines of evidence from human evolutionary neuroanatomy and neurodevelopmental disorders. BRAIN, BEHAVIOR AND EVOLUTION 2014; 84:135-55. [PMID: 25247986 DOI: 10.1159/000365409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The evolution of the human brain has been marked by a nearly 3-fold increase in size since our divergence from the last common ancestor shared with chimpanzees and bonobos. Despite increased interest in comparative neuroanatomy and phylogenetic methods, relatively little is known regarding the effects that this enlargement has had on its internal organization, and how certain areas of the brain have differentially expanded over evolutionary time. Analyses of the microstructure of several regions of the human cortex and subcortical structures have demonstrated subtle changes at the cellular and molecular level, suggesting that the human brain is more than simply a 'scaled-up' primate brain. Ongoing research in comparative neuroanatomy has much to offer regarding our understanding of human brain evolution. Through analysis of the neuroanatomical phenotype at the level of reorganization in cytoarchitecture and cellular morphology, new data continue to highlight changes in cell density and organization associated with volumetric changes in discrete regions. An understanding of the functional significance of variation in neural circuitry can further be approached through studies of atypical human development. Many neurodevelopmental disorders cause disruption in systems associated with uniquely human features of cognition, including language and social cognition. Understanding the genetic and developmental mechanisms that underlie variation in the human cognitive phenotype can help to clarify the functional significance of interspecific variation. By uniting approaches from comparative neuroanatomy and neuropathology, insights can be gained that clarify trends in human evolution. Here, we explore these lines of evidence and their significance for understanding functional variation between species as well as within neuropathological variation in the human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kari L Hanson
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, Calif., USA
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Elston GN, Fujita I. Pyramidal cell development: postnatal spinogenesis, dendritic growth, axon growth, and electrophysiology. Front Neuroanat 2014; 8:78. [PMID: 25161611 PMCID: PMC4130200 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2014.00078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2014] [Accepted: 07/22/2014] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Here we review recent findings related to postnatal spinogenesis, dendritic and axon growth, pruning and electrophysiology of neocortical pyramidal cells in the developing primate brain. Pyramidal cells in sensory, association and executive cortex grow dendrites, spines and axons at different rates, and vary in the degree of pruning. Of particular note is the fact that pyramidal cells in primary visual area (V1) prune more spines than they grow during postnatal development, whereas those in inferotemporal (TEO and TE) and granular prefrontal cortex (gPFC; Brodmann's area 12) grow more than they prune. Moreover, pyramidal cells in TEO, TE and the gPFC continue to grow larger dendritic territories from birth into adulthood, replete with spines, whereas those in V1 become smaller during this time. The developmental profile of intrinsic axons also varies between cortical areas: those in V1, for example, undergo an early proliferation followed by pruning and local consolidation into adulthood, whereas those in area TE tend to establish their territory and consolidate it into adulthood with little pruning. We correlate the anatomical findings with the electrophysiological properties of cells in the different cortical areas, including membrane time constant, depolarizing sag, duration of individual action potentials, and spike-frequency adaptation. All of the electrophysiological variables ramped up before 7 months of age in V1, but continued to ramp up over a protracted period of time in area TE. These data suggest that the anatomical and electrophysiological profiles of pyramidal cells vary among cortical areas at birth, and continue to diverge into adulthood. Moreover, the data reveal that the “use it or lose it” notion of synaptic reinforcement may speak to only part of the story, “use it but you still might lose it” may be just as prevalent in the cerebral cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guy N Elston
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience Sunshine Coast, QLD, Australia
| | - Ichiro Fujita
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences and Center for Information and Neural Networks, Osaka University and National Institute of Communication Technology Suita, Japan
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Elston GN, Manger P. Pyramidal cells in V1 of African rodents are bigger, more branched and more spiny than those in primates. Front Neuroanat 2014; 8:4. [PMID: 24574977 PMCID: PMC3918685 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2014.00004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2013] [Accepted: 01/20/2014] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Pyramidal cells are characterized by markedly different sized dendritic trees, branching patterns, and spine density across the cortical mantle. Moreover, pyramidal cells have been shown to differ in structure among homologous cortical areas in different species; however, most of these studies have been conducted in primates. Whilst pyramidal cells have been quantified in a few cortical areas in some other species there are, as yet, no uniform comparative data on pyramidal cell structure in a homologous cortical area among species in different Orders. Here we studied layer III pyramidal cells in V1 of three species of rodents, the greater cane rat, highveld gerbil, and four-striped mouse, by the same methodology used to sample data from layer III pyramidal cells in primates. The data reveal markedly different trends between rodents and primates: there is an appreciable increase in the size, branching complexity, and number of spines in the dendritic trees of pyramidal cells with increasing size of V1 in the brain in rodents, whereas there is relatively little difference in primates. Moreover, pyramidal cells in rodents are larger, more branched and more spinous than those in primates. For example, the dendritic trees of pyramidal cells in V1 of the adult cane rat are nearly three times larger, and have more than 10 times the number of spines in their basal dendritic trees, than those in V1 of the adult macaque (7900 and 600, respectively), which has a V1 40 times the size that of the cane rat. It remains to be determined to what extent these differences may result from development or reflect evolutionary and/or processing specializations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guy N Elston
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience Sunshine Coast, QLD, Australia
| | - Paul Manger
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg, South Africa
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Manger PR, Spocter MA, Patzke N. The evolutions of large brain size in mammals: the 'over-700-gram club quartet'. BRAIN, BEHAVIOR AND EVOLUTION 2013; 82:68-78. [PMID: 23979457 DOI: 10.1159/000352056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The current paper details our developing understanding of the evolution of large brains in mammals. In order to do this, we first define brains that we consider to be large--those that have passed the apparent 700-gram ceiling on brain mass evolution in the class Mammalia. The over-700-gram club includes certain species within the genus Homo, order Cetacea, order Proboscidea, and suborder Pinnipedia. Our analysis suggests that selection for body size appears to be the most important factor in the evolution of large brain size, but there also appear to be internal morphophysiological constraints on large brain size evolution that need to be overcome in order for brains to break the 700-gram barrier. These two aspects appear to be common themes in the evolution of large brains. This significantly diminishes the explanatory value of selection for greater cognitive capacities as a principal factor in the evolution of enlarged brain sizes above the 700-gram threshold.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul R Manger
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa.
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Maseko BC, Jacobs B, Spocter MA, Sherwood CC, Hof PR, Manger PR. Qualitative and Quantitative Aspects of the Microanatomy of the African Elephant Cerebellar Cortex. BRAIN, BEHAVIOR AND EVOLUTION 2013; 81:40-55. [DOI: 10.1159/000345565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2012] [Accepted: 09/14/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Elston GN, Benavides-Piccione R, Elston A, Manger PR, DeFelipe J. Pyramidal cells in prefrontal cortex of primates: marked differences in neuronal structure among species. Front Neuroanat 2011; 5:2. [PMID: 21347276 PMCID: PMC3039119 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2011.00002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2010] [Accepted: 01/11/2011] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The most ubiquitous neuron in the cerebral cortex, the pyramidal cell, is characterized by markedly different dendritic structure among different cortical areas. The complex pyramidal cell phenotype in granular prefrontal cortex (gPFC) of higher primates endows specific biophysical properties and patterns of connectivity, which differ from those in other cortical regions. However, within the gPFC, data have been sampled from only a select few cortical areas. The gPFC of species such as human and macaque monkey includes more than 10 cortical areas. It remains unknown as to what degree pyramidal cell structure may vary among these cortical areas. Here we undertook a survey of pyramidal cells in the dorsolateral, medial, and orbital gPFC of cercopithecid primates. We found marked heterogeneity in pyramidal cell structure within and between these regions. Moreover, trends for gradients in neuronal complexity varied among species. As the structure of neurons determines their computational abilities, memory storage capacity and connectivity, we propose that these specializations in the pyramidal cell phenotype are an important determinant of species-specific executive cortical functions in primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guy N. Elston
- Centre for Cognitive NeuroscienceSunshine Coast, QLD, Australia
| | - Ruth Benavides-Piccione
- Laboratorio de Circuitos Corticales (CTB), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Instituto Cajal (CSIC), Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED)Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Paul R. Manger
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the WitwatersrandJohannesburg, South Africa
| | - Javier DeFelipe
- Laboratorio de Circuitos Corticales (CTB), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Instituto Cajal (CSIC), Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED)Madrid, Spain
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Freire MAM, Rocha EG, Oliveira JLF, Guimarães JS, Silveira LCL, Elston GN, Pereira A, Picanço-Diniz CW. Morphological variability of NADPH diaphorase neurons across areas V1, V2, and V3 of the common agouti. Brain Res 2009; 1318:52-63. [PMID: 20036219 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2009.12.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2009] [Revised: 12/11/2009] [Accepted: 12/14/2009] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies have shown a noticeable phenotypic diversity for pyramidal cells among cortical areas in the cerebral cortex. Both the extent and systematic nature of this variation suggests a correlation with particular aspects of cortical processing. Nevertheless, regional variations in the morphology of inhibitory cells have not been evaluated with the same detail. In the present study we performed a 3D morphometric analysis of 120 NADPH diaphorase (NADPH-d) type I neurons in the visual cortex of a South American Hystricomorph rodent, the diurnal agouti (Dasyprocta sp.). We found significant differences in morphology of NADPH-d type I neurons among visual cortical areas: cells became progressively larger and more branched from V1 to V2 and V3. Presumably, the specialized morphology of these cells is correlated with different sampling geometry and function. The data suggest that area-specific specializations of cortical inhibitory circuitry are also present in rodents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Aurélio M Freire
- Lab. Neurodegeneração e Infecção, Hospital Universitário João de Barros Barreto, Universidade Federal do Pará, 66073-000 Belém, PA, Brazil
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Elston GN, Oga T, Okamoto T, Fujita I. Spinogenesis and pruning from early visual onset to adulthood: an intracellular injection study of layer III pyramidal cells in the ventral visual cortical pathway of the macaque monkey. Cereb Cortex 2009; 20:1398-408. [PMID: 19846470 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhp203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Neocortical pyramidal cells are characterized by markedly different structure among cortical areas in the mature brain. In the ventral visual pathway of adult primates, pyramidal cells become increasingly more branched and more spinous with anterior progression through the primary (V1), second (V2), and fourth (V4) visual areas and cytoarchitectonic areas TEO and TE. It is not known how these regional specializations in neuron structure develop. Here, we report that the basal dendritic trees of layer III pyramidal cells in V1, V2, V4, TEO, and TE were characterized by unique growth profiles. Different numbers of spines were grown in the dendritic trees of cells among these cortical areas and then subsequently pruned. In V1, V2, and V4, more spines were pruned than grew resulting in a net decrease in the number of spines in the dendritic trees following the onset of visual experience. In TEO and TE, neurons grew more spines than they pruned from visual onset to adulthood. These data suggest that visual experience may influence neuronal maturation in different ways in different cortical areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guy N Elston
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia.
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Elston GN, Rosa MGP. Ipsilateral corticocortical projections to the primary and middle temporal visual areas of the primate cerebral cortex: area-specific variations in the morphology of connectionally identified pyramidal cells. Eur J Neurosci 2007; 23:3337-45. [PMID: 16820023 DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2006.04847.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
We quantified the morphology of over 350 pyramidal neurons with identified ipsilateral corticocortical projections to the primary (V1) and middle temporal (MT) visual areas of the marmoset monkey, following intracellular injection of Lucifer Yellow into retrogradely labelled cells. Paralleling the results of studies in which randomly sampled pyramidal cells were injected, we found that the size of the basal dendritic tree of connectionally identified cells differed between cortical areas, as did the branching complexity and spine density. We found no systematic relationship between dendritic tree structure and axon target or length. Instead, the size of the basal dendritic tree increased roughly in relation to increasing distance from the occipital pole, irrespective of the length of the connection or the cortical layer in which the neurons were located. For example, cells in the second visual area had some of the smallest and least complex dendritic trees irrespective of whether they projected to V1 or MT, while those in the dorsolateral area (DL) were among the largest and most complex. We also observed that systematic differences in spine number were more marked among V1-projecting cells than MT-projecting cells. These data demonstrate that the previously documented systematic differences in pyramidal cell morphology between areas cannot simply be attributed to variable proportions of neurons projecting to different targets, in the various areas. Moreover, they suggest that mechanisms intrinsic to the area in which neurons are located are strong determinants of basal dendritic field structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guy N Elston
- Vision, Touch and Hearing Research Centre, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Australia
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Elston GN, Elston A, Freire MAM, Gomes Leal W, Dias IA, Pereira A, Silveira LCL, Picanço Diniz CW. Specialization of pyramidal cell structure in the visual areas V1, V2 and V3 of the South American rodent, Dasyprocta primnolopha. Brain Res 2006; 1106:99-110. [PMID: 16854386 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2006.05.100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2006] [Revised: 05/16/2006] [Accepted: 05/17/2006] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Marked phenotypic variation has been reported in pyramidal cells in the primate cerebral cortex. These extent and systematic nature of these specializations suggest that they are important for specialized aspects of cortical processing. However, it remains unknown as to whether regional variations in the pyramidal cell phenotype are unique to primates or if they are widespread amongst mammalian species. In the present study we determined the receptive fields of neurons in striate and extrastriate visual cortex, and quantified pyramidal cell structure in these cortical regions, in the diurnal, large-brained, South American rodent Dasyprocta primnolopha. We found evidence for a first, second and third visual area (V1, V2 and V3, respectively) forming a lateral progression from the occipital pole to the temporal pole. Pyramidal cell structure became increasingly more complex through these areas, suggesting that regional specialization in pyramidal cell phenotype is not restricted to primates. However, cells in V1, V2 and V3 of the agouti were considerably more spinous than their counterparts in primates, suggesting different evolutionary and developmental influences may act on cortical microcircuitry in rodents and primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guy N Elston
- Vision, Touch and Hearing Research Centre, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Queensland, 4072, Australia.
| | - Alejandra Elston
- Vision, Touch and Hearing Research Centre, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Queensland, 4072, Australia
| | - Marco Aurelio M Freire
- Laboratório de Neuroanatomia Funcional, Departamento de Morfologia, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, 66075-900 Belém, Pará, Brazil
| | - Wallace Gomes Leal
- Laboratório de Neuroanatomia Funcional, Departamento de Morfologia, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, 66075-900 Belém, Pará, Brazil
| | - Ivanira Amaral Dias
- Laboratório de Neuroanatomia Funcional, Departamento de Morfologia, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, 66075-900 Belém, Pará, Brazil
| | - Antonio Pereira
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, 66075-900 Belém, Pará, Brazil
| | - Luiz Carlos L Silveira
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, 66075-900 Belém, Pará, Brazil
| | - Cristovam W Picanço Diniz
- Laboratório de Neuroanatomia Funcional, Departamento de Morfologia, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, 66075-900 Belém, Pará, Brazil
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Elston GN, Benavides-Piccione R, Elston A, DeFelipe J, Manger P. Specialization in pyramidal cell structure in the cingulate cortex of the Chacma baboon (Papio ursinus): An intracellular injection study of the posterior and anterior cingulate gyrus with comparative notes on the macaque and vervet monkeys. Neurosci Lett 2005; 387:130-5. [PMID: 16009490 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2005.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2005] [Revised: 06/01/2005] [Accepted: 06/01/2005] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
This study forms part of an ongoing investigation of pyramidal cell structure in the cingulate cortex of primates. Recently we have demonstrated that layer III pyramidal cells in the anterior cingulate gyrus are considerably larger, more branched and more spinous than those in the posterior cingulate gyrus (areas 24 and 23, respectively) in the macaque and vervet monkeys. Moreover, the extent of the interareal difference in specialization in pyramidal cell structure differed between the two species. These data suggest that pyramidal cell circuitry may have evolved differently in these closely related species. Presently there are too few data to speculate on what is selecting for this specialization in structure. Here we extend the basis for comparison by studying pyramidal cell structure in cingulate gyrus of the Chacma baboon (Papio ursinus). Methodology used here is the same as that for our previous studies: intracellular injection of Lucifer Yellow in flat-mounted cortical slices. We found that pyramidal cells in anterior cingulate gyrus (area 24) were more branched and more spinous than those in posterior cingulate gyrus (area 23). Moreover, the complexity in pyramidal cell structure in both the anterior and posterior cingulate gyrus of the baboon differed to that in the corresponding regions in either the macaque or vervet monkeys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guy N Elston
- Vision, Touch and Hearing Research Centre, School of Biomedical Sciences & Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia.
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