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Molecular mechanism of barrel cortex development controlled by thalamocortical axon innervation
Author(s) -
J. Moss,
D. Davidson,
I. Rodríguez-Moldes
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
international journal of developmental neuroscience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.761
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1873-474X
pISSN - 0736-5748
DOI - 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2012.03.337
Subject(s) - neuroscience , mechanism (biology) , axon , barrel (horology) , axon guidance , barrel cortex , cortex (anatomy) , cognitive science , psychology , biology , sensory system , history , philosophy , epistemology , archaeology
E-mail address: ivan.carrera@usc.es (I. Carrera). The 3D representation of the developing brain provides a detailed framework to study the organization of neuronal systems from the embryo to the young adult. To gain insight into the origin and developmental distribution of the complex morphological structures in the gnathostome brain, we have performed 3D representations of the developing brain in the dogfish Scyliorhinus canicula and mapped the distribution pattern of several neuronal systems identified by their neurochemical contents. The dogfish S. canicula is emerging as an important model organism for comparative studies of brain organization and development because of its phylogenetic position as a basal vertebrate. Using complementary techniques such as immunohistochemistry and optical projection tomography (OPT) microscopy, we have created a 3D imaging of the most representative embryonic stages and their neuroanatomical early expression pattern based on transverse and sagittal sections guided by schematic drawings. Here we show a key stage in the development of the brain, the embryonic stage 28, timepoint in which the expression of neuroactive substances is beginning or already started to express in the main neuronal systems. The events occurring at this particular stage lead to the initiation of a new interaction pattern between neuroactive systems, related to the establishment of the anteroposterior and dorsoventral subdivisions of the brain, thus allowing data meaning for regionalization mapping in vertebrates’ comparative studies. With the 3D representation of different embryonic stages we intend to create the 4D Developing Elasmobranch Brain Atlas, which will be a key resource for understanding the organization of neuronal systems containing modulatory neuroactive substances in the elasmobranch brain, and a reference in the accurate embryonic staging in future evo-devo studies. Supported by: Spanish Dirección General de InvestigaciónFEDER (BFU2010-15816), Xunta de Galicia (10PXIB200051PR) and European Community-ASSEMBLE (grant agreement no. 227799).