Development of the thalamo-dorsal ventricular ridge tract in the Chinese soft-shelled turtle, Pelodiscus sinensis

Thalamic activity-dependent specification of sensory input neurons in the developing chick entopallium

During development, cell-intrinsic and cell-extrinsic factors play important roles in neuronal differentiation; however, the underlying mechanisms in nonmammalian species remain largely unknown. We here investigated the mechanisms responsible for the differentiation of sensory input neurons in the chick entopallium, which receives its primary visual input via the tectofugal pathway from the nucleus rotundus. The results obtained revealed that input neurons in the entopallium expressed Potassium Voltage-Gated Channel Subfamily H Member 5 (KCNH5/EAG2) mRNA from embryonic day (E) 11. On the other hand, the onset of protein expression was E20, which was 1 day before hatching. We confirm that entopallium input neurons in chicks were generated during early neurogenesis in the lateral and ventral ventricular zones. Notably, neurons derived from the lateral (LP) and ventral pallium (VP) exhibited a spatially distinct distribution along the rostro-caudal axis. We further demonstrated that the expression of EAG2 was directly regulated by input activity from thalamic axons. Collectively, the present results reveal that thalamic input activity is essential for specifying input neurons among LP- and VP-derived early-generated neurons in the developing chick entopallium.

Crocodilian Forebrain: Evolution and Development

Organization and development of the forebrain in crocodilians are reviewed. In juvenile Caiman crocodilus, the following features were examined: identification and classification of dorsal thalamic nuclei and their respective connections with the telencephalon, presence of local circuit neurons in the dorsal thalamic nuclei, telencephalic projections to the dorsal thalamus, and organization of the thalamic reticular nucleus. These results document many similarities between crocodilians and other reptiles and birds. While crocodilians, as well as other sauropsids, demonstrate several features of neural circuitry in common with mammals, certain striking differences in organization of the forebrain are present. These differences are the result of evolution. To explore a basis for these differences, embryos of Alligator misissippiensis were examined to address the following. First, very early development of the brain in Alligator is similar to that of other amniotes. Second, the developmental program for individual vesicles of the brain differs between the secondary prosencephalon, diencephalon, midbrain, and hindbrain in Alligator. This is likely to be the case for other amniotes. Third, initial development of the diencephalon in Alligator is similar to that in other amniotes. In Alligator, alar and basal parts likely follow a different developmental scheme.