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Asad Z, Fakheir Y, Abukhaled Y, Khalil R. Implications of altered pyramidal cell morphology on clinical symptoms of neurodevelopmental disorders. Eur J Neurosci 2024. [PMID: 39054743 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2024] [Revised: 05/26/2024] [Accepted: 07/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
The prevalence of pyramidal cells (PCs) in the mammalian cerebral cortex underscore their value as they play a crucial role in various brain functions, ranging from cognition, sensory processing, to motor output. PC morphology significantly influences brain connectivity and plays a critical role in maintaining normal brain function. Pathological alterations to PC morphology are thought to contribute to the aetiology of neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia. This review explores the relationship between abnormalities in PC morphology in key cortical areas and the clinical manifestations in schizophrenia and ASD. We focus largely on human postmortem studies and provide evidence that dendritic segment length, complexity and spine density are differentially affected in these disorders. These morphological alterations can lead to disruptions in cortical connectivity, potentially contributing to the cognitive and behavioural deficits observed in these disorders. Furthermore, we highlight the importance of investigating the functional and structural characteristics of PCs in these disorders to illuminate the underlying pathogenesis and stimulate further research in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zummar Asad
- School of Medicine, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), Dublin, Ireland
| | - Yara Fakheir
- College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Yara Abukhaled
- College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Reem Khalil
- Department of Biology, Chemistry and Environmental Sciences, American University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
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Wang B, Vartak R, Zaltsman Y, Naing ZZC, Hennick KM, Polacco BJ, Bashir A, Eckhardt M, Bouhaddou M, Xu J, Sun N, Lasser MC, Zhou Y, McKetney J, Guiley KZ, Chan U, Kaye JA, Chadha N, Cakir M, Gordon M, Khare P, Drake S, Drury V, Burke DF, Gonzalez S, Alkhairy S, Thomas R, Lam S, Morris M, Bader E, Seyler M, Baum T, Krasnoff R, Wang S, Pham P, Arbalaez J, Pratt D, Chag S, Mahmood N, Rolland T, Bourgeron T, Finkbeiner S, Swaney DL, Bandyopadhay S, Ideker T, Beltrao P, Willsey HR, Obernier K, Nowakowski TJ, Hüttenhain R, State MW, Willsey AJ, Krogan NJ. A foundational atlas of autism protein interactions reveals molecular convergence. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.12.03.569805. [PMID: 38076945 PMCID: PMC10705567 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.03.569805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2023]
Abstract
Translating high-confidence (hc) autism spectrum disorder (ASD) genes into viable treatment targets remains elusive. We constructed a foundational protein-protein interaction (PPI) network in HEK293T cells involving 100 hcASD risk genes, revealing over 1,800 PPIs (87% novel). Interactors, expressed in the human brain and enriched for ASD but not schizophrenia genetic risk, converged on protein complexes involved in neurogenesis, tubulin biology, transcriptional regulation, and chromatin modification. A PPI map of 54 patient-derived missense variants identified differential physical interactions, and we leveraged AlphaFold-Multimer predictions to prioritize direct PPIs and specific variants for interrogation in Xenopus tropicalis and human forebrain organoids. A mutation in the transcription factor FOXP1 led to reconfiguration of DNA binding sites and altered development of deep cortical layer neurons in forebrain organoids. This work offers new insights into molecular mechanisms underlying ASD and describes a powerful platform to develop and test therapeutic strategies for many genetically-defined conditions.
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Shi S, Zhang H, Chu X, Cai Q, He D, Qin X, Wei W, Zhang N, Zhao Y, Jia Y, Zhang F, Wen Y. Identifying novel chemical-related susceptibility genes for five psychiatric disorders through integrating genome-wide association study and tissue-specific 3'aQTL annotation datasets. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2024:10.1007/s00406-023-01753-0. [PMID: 38305800 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-023-01753-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
The establishment of 3'aQTLs comprehensive database provides an opportunity to help explore the functional interpretation from the genome-wide association study (GWAS) data of psychiatric disorders. In this study, we aim to search novel susceptibility genes, pathways, and related chemicals of five psychiatric disorders via GWAS and 3'aQTLs datasets. The GWAS datasets of five psychiatric disorders were collected from the open platform of Psychiatric Genomics Consortium (PGC, https://www.med.unc.edu/pgc/ ) and iPSYCH ( https://ipsych.dk/ ) (Demontis et al. in Nat Genet 51(1):63-75, 2019; Grove et al. in Nat Genet 51:431-444, 2019; Genomic Dissection of Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia in Cell 173: 1705-1715.e1716, 2018; Mullins et al. in Nat Genet 53: 817-829; Howard et al. in Nat Neurosci 22: 343-352, 2019). The 3'untranslated region (3'UTR) alternative polyadenylation (APA) quantitative trait loci (3'aQTLs) summary datasets of 12 brain regions were obtained from another public platform ( https://wlcb.oit.uci.edu/3aQTLatlas/ ) (Cui et al. in Nucleic Acids Res 50: D39-D45, 2022). First, we aligned the GWAS-associated SNPs of psychiatric disorders and datasets of 3'aQTLs, and then, the GWAS-associated 3'aQTLs were identified from the overlap. Second, gene ontology (GO) and pathway analysis was applied to investigate the potential biological functions of matching genes based on the methods provided by MAGMA. Finally, chemical-related gene-set analysis (GSA) was also conducted by MAGMA to explore the potential interaction of GWAS-associated 3'aQTLs and multiple chemicals in the mechanism of psychiatric disorders. A number of susceptibility genes with 3'aQTLs were found to be associated with psychiatric disorders and some of them had brain-region specificity. For schizophrenia (SCZ), HLA-A showed associated with psychiatric disorders in all 12 brain regions, such as cerebellar hemisphere (P = 1.58 × 10-36) and cortex (P = 1.58 × 10-36). GO and pathway analysis identified several associated pathways, such as Phenylpropanoid Metabolic Process (GO:0009698, P = 6.24 × 10-7 for SCZ). Chemical-related GSA detected several chemical-related gene sets associated with psychiatric disorders. For example, gene sets of Ferulic Acid (P = 6.24 × 10-7), Morin (P = 4.47 × 10-2) and Vanillic Acid (P = 6.24 × 10-7) were found to be associated with SCZ. By integrating the functional information from 3'aQTLs, we identified several susceptibility genes and associated pathways especially chemical-related gene sets for five psychiatric disorders. Our results provided new insights to understand the etiology and mechanism of psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sirong Shi
- Key Laboratory of Trace Elements and Endemic Diseases of National Health and Family Planning Commission, School of Public Health, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, People's Republic of China
| | - Huijie Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Trace Elements and Endemic Diseases of National Health and Family Planning Commission, School of Public Health, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoge Chu
- Key Laboratory of Trace Elements and Endemic Diseases of National Health and Family Planning Commission, School of Public Health, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, People's Republic of China
| | - Qingqing Cai
- Key Laboratory of Trace Elements and Endemic Diseases of National Health and Family Planning Commission, School of Public Health, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, People's Republic of China
| | - Dan He
- Key Laboratory of Trace Elements and Endemic Diseases of National Health and Family Planning Commission, School of Public Health, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoyue Qin
- Key Laboratory of Trace Elements and Endemic Diseases of National Health and Family Planning Commission, School of Public Health, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenming Wei
- Key Laboratory of Trace Elements and Endemic Diseases of National Health and Family Planning Commission, School of Public Health, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, People's Republic of China
| | - Na Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Trace Elements and Endemic Diseases of National Health and Family Planning Commission, School of Public Health, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, People's Republic of China
| | - Yijing Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Trace Elements and Endemic Diseases of National Health and Family Planning Commission, School of Public Health, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, People's Republic of China
| | - Yumeng Jia
- Key Laboratory of Trace Elements and Endemic Diseases of National Health and Family Planning Commission, School of Public Health, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, People's Republic of China
| | - Feng Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Trace Elements and Endemic Diseases of National Health and Family Planning Commission, School of Public Health, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, People's Republic of China
| | - Yan Wen
- Key Laboratory of Trace Elements and Endemic Diseases of National Health and Family Planning Commission, School of Public Health, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, People's Republic of China.
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Wang Y, Wang F, Kong Y, Gao T, Zhu Q, Han L, Sun B, Guan L, Zhang Z, Qian Y, Xu L, Li Y, Fang H, Jiao G, Ke X. High definition transcranial direct current stimulation of the Cz improves social dysfunction in children with autism spectrum disorder: A randomized, sham, controlled study. Autism Res 2023; 16:2035-2048. [PMID: 37695276 DOI: 10.1002/aur.3018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of the Cz of high-definition 5-channel tDCS (HD-tDCS) on social function in 4-12 years-old children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study was a randomized, double-blind, pseudo-controlled trial in which 45 ASD children were recruited and divided into three groups with sex, age, and rehabilitation treatment as control variables. Each group of 15 children with ASD was randomly administered active HD-tDCS with the Cz as the central anode, active HD-tDCS with the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (F3) as the central anode, and sham HD-tDCS with the Cz as the central anode with 14 daily sessions in 3 weeks. The Social Responsiveness Scale Chinese Version (SRS-Chinese Version) was compared 1 week after stimulation with values recorded 1 week prior to stimulation. At the end of treatment, both the anodal Cz and anodal left DLFPC tDCS decreased the measures of SRS-Chinese Version. The total score of SRS-Chinese Version decreased by 13.08%, social cognition decreased by 18.33%, and social communication decreased by 10.79%, which were significantly improved over the Cz central anode active stimulation group, especially in children with young age, and middle and low function. There was no significant change in the total score and subscale score of SRS-Chinese Version over the Cz central anode sham stimulation group. In the F3 central anode active stimulation group, the total score of SRS-Chinese Version decreased by 13%, autistic behavior decreased by 19.39%, and social communication decreased by 14.39%, which were all significantly improved. However, there was no significant difference in effect between the Cz and left DLPFC stimulation conditions. HD-tDCS of the Cz central anode may be an effective treatment for social dysfunction in children with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yonglu Wang
- Child Mental Health Research Center, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Fei Wang
- Child Mental Health Research Center, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yue Kong
- Child Mental Health Research Center, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Tianshu Gao
- Child Mental Health Research Center, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Qingyao Zhu
- Child Mental Health Research Center, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Lu Han
- Child Mental Health Research Center, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Bei Sun
- Child Mental Health Research Center, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Luyang Guan
- Child Mental Health Research Center, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ziyi Zhang
- Child Mental Health Research Center, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yuxin Qian
- Child Mental Health Research Center, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Lingxi Xu
- Child Mental Health Research Center, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yun Li
- Child Mental Health Research Center, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Hui Fang
- Child Mental Health Research Center, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Gongkai Jiao
- Child Mental Health Research Center, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiaoyan Ke
- Child Mental Health Research Center, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
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Oka Y, Sato M, Chou SJ. Editorial: The earliest-born cortical neurons as multi-tasking pioneers: expanding roles for subplate neurons in cerebral cortex organization and function, volume II. Front Neuroanat 2023; 17:1211678. [PMID: 37265998 PMCID: PMC10230060 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2023.1211678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Yuichiro Oka
- Division of Developmental Neuroscience, United Graduate School of Child Development (UGSCD), Osaka University, Suita, Japan
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Makoto Sato
- Division of Developmental Neuroscience, United Graduate School of Child Development (UGSCD), Osaka University, Suita, Japan
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Shen-Ju Chou
- Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
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Kyriakopoulou V, Davidson A, Chew A, Gupta N, Arichi T, Nosarti C, Rutherford MA. Characterisation of ASD traits among a cohort of children with isolated fetal ventriculomegaly. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1550. [PMID: 36941265 PMCID: PMC10027681 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37242-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Fetal ventriculomegaly is the most common antenatally-diagnosed brain abnormality. Imaging studies in antenatal isolated ventriculomegaly demonstrate enlarged ventricles and cortical overgrowth which are also present in children with autism-spectrum disorder/condition (ASD). We investigate the presence of ASD traits in a cohort of children (n = 24 [20 males/4 females]) with isolated fetal ventriculomegaly, compared with 10 controls (n = 10 [6 males/4 females]). Neurodevelopmental outcome at school age included IQ, ASD traits (ADOS-2), sustained attention, neurological functioning, behaviour, executive function, sensory processing, co-ordination, and adaptive behaviours. Pre-school language development was assessed at 2 years. 37.5% of children, all male, in the ventriculomegaly cohort scored above threshold for autism/ASD classification. Pre-school language delay predicted an ADOS-2 autism/ASD classification with 73.3% specificity/66.7% sensitivity. Greater pre-school language delay was associated with more ASD symptoms. In this study, the neurodevelopment of children with isolated fetal ventriculomegaly, associated with altered cortical development, includes ASD traits, difficulties in sustained attention, working memory and sensation-seeking behaviours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Kyriakopoulou
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK.
| | - Alice Davidson
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Andrew Chew
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Nidhi Gupta
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Paediatric Neurosciences, Evelina London Children's Hospital, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Tomoki Arichi
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Paediatric Neurosciences, Evelina London Children's Hospital, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Chiara Nosarti
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Mary A Rutherford
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, UK
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Mukherjee D, Kanold PO. Changing subplate circuits: Early activity dependent circuit plasticity. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 16:1067365. [PMID: 36713777 PMCID: PMC9874351 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.1067365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Early neural activity in the developing sensory system comprises spontaneous bursts of patterned activity, which is fundamental for sculpting and refinement of immature cortical connections. The crude early connections that are initially refined by spontaneous activity, are further elaborated by sensory-driven activity from the periphery such that orderly and mature connections are established for the proper functioning of the cortices. Subplate neurons (SPNs) are one of the first-born mature neurons that are transiently present during early development, the period of heightened activity-dependent plasticity. SPNs are well integrated within the developing sensory cortices. Their structural and functional properties such as relative mature intrinsic membrane properties, heightened connectivity via chemical and electrical synapses, robust activation by neuromodulatory inputs-place them in an ideal position to serve as crucial elements in monitoring and regulating spontaneous endogenous network activity. Moreover, SPNs are the earliest substrates to receive early sensory-driven activity from the periphery and are involved in its modulation, amplification, and transmission before the maturation of the direct adult-like thalamocortical connectivity. Consequently, SPNs are vulnerable to sensory manipulations in the periphery. A broad range of early sensory deprivations alters SPN circuit organization and functions that might be associated with long term neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders. Here we provide a comprehensive overview of SPN function in activity-dependent development during early life and integrate recent findings on the impact of early sensory deprivation on SPNs that could eventually lead to neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Didhiti Mukherjee
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Patrick O. Kanold
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States,Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States,*Correspondence: Patrick O. Kanold ✉
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Hadders‐Algra M. Emerging signs of autism spectrum disorder in infancy: Putative neural substrate. Dev Med Child Neurol 2022; 64:1344-1350. [PMID: 35801808 PMCID: PMC9796067 DOI: 10.1111/dmcn.15333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by altered development of the social brain with prominent atypical features in the fronto-temporo-parietal cortex and cerebellum. Early signs of ASD emerge between 6 and 12 months: reduced social communication, slightly less advanced motor development, and repetitive behaviour. The fronto-temporo-parietal cortex and cerebellum play a prominent role in the development of social communication, whereas fronto-parietal-cerebellar networks are involved in the planning of movements, that is, movement selection. Atypical sensory responsivity, a core feature of ASD, may result in impaired development of social communication and motor skills and/or selection of atypical repetitive behaviour. In the first postnatal year, the brain areas involved are characterized by gradual dissolution of temporary structures: the fronto-temporo-parietal cortical subplate and cerebellar external granular layer. It is hypothesized that altered dissolution of the transient structures opens the window for the expression of early signs of ASD arising in the impaired developing permanent networks. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: The early social and motor signs of autism spectrum disorder emerge between the ages of 6 and 12 months. Altered dissolution of transient brain structures in the fronto-temporo-parietal cortex and cerebellum may underlie the emergence of these early signs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mijna Hadders‐Algra
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center GroningenDepartment of Paediatrics, Section of Developmental NeurologyGroningenthe Netherlands,University of Groningen, Faculty of Theology and Religious StudiesGroningenthe Netherlands
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Swiegers J, Bhagwandin A, Williams VM, Maseko BC, Sherwood CC, Hård T, Bertelsen MF, Rockland KS, Molnár Z, Manger PR. The distribution, number, and certain neurochemical identities of infracortical white matter neurons in a chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) brain. J Comp Neurol 2021; 529:3429-3452. [PMID: 34180538 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Revised: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
We examined the number, distribution, and immunoreactivity of the infracortical white matter neuronal population, also termed white matter interstitial cells (WMICs), throughout the telencephalic white matter of an adult female chimpanzee. Staining for neuronal nuclear marker (NeuN) revealed WMICs throughout the infracortical white matter, these cells being most numerous and dense close to the inner border of cortical layer VI, decreasing significantly in density with depth in the white matter. Stereological analysis of NeuN-immunopositive cells revealed an estimate of approximately 137.2 million WMICs within the infracortical white matter of the chimpanzee brain studied. Immunostaining revealed subpopulations of WMICs containing neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS, approximately 14.4 million in number), calretinin (CR, approximately 16.7 million), very few WMICs containing parvalbumin (PV), and no calbindin-immunopositive neurons. The nNOS, CR, and PV immunopositive WMICs, possibly all inhibitory neurons, represent approximately 22.6% of the total WMIC population. As the white matter is affected in many cognitive conditions, such as schizophrenia, autism, epilepsy, and also in neurodegenerative diseases, understanding these neurons across species is important for the translation of findings of neural dysfunction in animal models to humans. Furthermore, studies of WMICs in species such as apes provide a crucial phylogenetic context for understanding the evolution of these cell types in the human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan Swiegers
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa
| | - Adhil Bhagwandin
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa
| | - Victoria M Williams
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa
| | - Busisiwe C Maseko
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa
| | - Chet C Sherwood
- Department of Anthropology and Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | | | - Mads F Bertelsen
- Centre for Zoo and Wild Animal Health, Copenhagen Zoo, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Kathleen S Rockland
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University, School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Zoltán Molnár
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Paul R Manger
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa
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