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Neurons of visual thalamic nuclei projecting to telencephalon express different types of calcium-binding proteins: A combined immunocytochemical and tracer study

  • Morphological Basics for Evolution of Functions
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Abstract

In turtles (Testudo horsfieldi, Emys orbicularis), immunoreactivity to calbindin (CB), parvalbumin (PV), calretinin (CR) and co-localization of CB and PV were studied in neurons of the visual thalamic nuclei (Rot, GLd) projecting to the telencephalon using a combination of immunohistochemical and tracer methods. The prevalence of CB-immunoreactive (-ir) neurons in Rot, CB-ir and CR-ir neurons in GLd, and a smaller number of PV-ir neurons in both nuclei was shown. Double immunofluorescent labeling revealed that within both nuclei PV and CB are colocalized in most PV-ir and fewer CB-ir neurons. After injection of horseradish peroxidase into the Rot and GLs telencephalic projection fields, retrograde labeling was found in corresponding thalamic projection neurons immunoreactive to all the three proteins. After introduction of the fluorescent tracer Fluo-gold into the same telencephalic regions, retrograde labeling was detected in Rot and GLd neurons immunoreactive only to PV and CB as well as in neurons with colocalization of both proteins. These findings provide further evidence that in turtles the CB component prevails in the rotundo-telencephalic pathway while the CB/CR component is dominant in the geniculotelencephalic pathway. The role of functional specialization in segregation of neurons expressing distinct types of calcium-binding proteins is postulated.

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Abbreviations

ADVR:

anterior dorsal ventricular ridge

ADVRdl:

dorsolateral region of ADVR

CaBPr:

calcium-binding proteins

CB:

calbindin

CR:

calretinin

Cxdl:

cortex dorsolateralis

Cxl:

cortex lateralis

Dla:

nucleus dorsolateralis anterior

Dma:

nucleus dorsomedialis anterior

GLd:

nucleus geniculatus lateralis, pars dorsalis

GLdc:

Gld cell layer

FG:

Fluoro-gold

fpl:

fasciculus prosencephali lateralis

ir:

immunoreactive

HRP:

horseradish peroxidase

Path:

pallial thickening

pedd:

pedunculus dorsalis fpl

PV:

parvalbumin

Rot:

nucleus rotundus

SGC:

stratum griseum centrale tecti optici

Str:

striatum

tro:

tractus opticus

V:

ventriculus

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia

    N. B. Kenigfest & M. G. Belekhova

  2. Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle USM-0501, Paris, France

    N. B. Kenigfest

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  1. N. B. Kenigfest
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  2. M. G. Belekhova
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Correspondence to N. B. Kenigfest.

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Original Russian Text © N.B. Kenigfest, M.G. Belekhova, 2015, published in Zhurnal Evolyutsionnoi Biokhimii i Fiziologii, 2015, Vol. 51, No. 6, pp. 449—458.

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Kenigfest, N.B., Belekhova, M.G. Neurons of visual thalamic nuclei projecting to telencephalon express different types of calcium-binding proteins: A combined immunocytochemical and tracer study. J Evol Biochem Phys 51, 505–516 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0022093015060083

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