Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Calbindin 2”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 289 records · Page 16Linked to original sources
PubMed1998

Disruption of the midkine gene (Mdk) resulted in altered expression of a calcium binding protein in the hippocampus of infant mice and their abnormal behaviour.

BACKGROUND: Midkine (MK) is a growth factor implicated in the development and repair of various tissues, especially neural tissues. However, its in vivo function has not been clarified. RESULTS: Knockout mice lacking the MK gene (Mdk) showed no gross abnormalities. We closely analysed postnatal brain development in Mdk(-/-) mice using calcium binding proteins as markers to distinguish neuronal subpopulations. Intense and prolonged calretinin expression was found in the dentate gyrus granule cell layer of the hippocampus of infant Mdk(-/-) mice. In infant Mdk(+/+) mice, calretinin expression in the granule cell layer was weaker, and had disappeared by 4 weeks after birth, when calretinin expression still persisted in Mdk(-/-) mice. Furthermore, 4 weeks after birth, Mdk(-/-) mice showed a deficit in their working memory, as revealed by a Y-maze test, and had an increased anxiety, as demonstrated by the elevated plus-maze test. CONCLUSION: Midkine plays an important role in the regulation of postnatal development of the hippocampus.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Neurochemical gradients along monkey sensory cortical pathways: calbindin-immunoreactive pyramidal neurons in layers II and III.

We examined the distribution of neurons containing immunoreactivity for three calcium-binding proteins, calbindin, parvalbumin and calretinin, as well as nonphosphorylated neurofilament protein, in cortical areas along the ventral and dorsal cortical visual pathways, and in ventrally-directed somatosensory and auditory cortical pathways. Calbindin-immunoreactive pyramidal neurons showed the most prominent regional differences. They were largely restricted to layers II and III and their number monotonically increased from the primary sensory areas to the anteroventral areas along the ventral visual pathway and along the ventrally-directed somatosensory and auditory pathways. The number of calbindin-immunoreactive pyramidal neurons in layers II and III also increased along the dorsal visual pathway, but the number in the last recognized stage of the dorsal visual pathway (area 7a) was significantly smaller than that at the corresponding stage in the ventral visual pathway (TE). The number of calbindin-immunoreactive pyramidal neurons was highest in layers II and III of areas 35/36, TG, and TF/TH, which represent terminal cortical regions of the pathways. These results show neurochemical differences between cortical areas located at early and late stages along serial corticocortical pathways, as well as confirming differences between pyramidal neurons in the supragranular and infragranular layers.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Expression of the cannabinoid receptor CB1 in distinct neuronal subpopulations in the adult mouse forebrain.

Cannabinoids can modulate motor behaviour, learning and memory, cognition and pain perception. These effects correlate with the expression of the cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) and with the presence of endogenous cannabinoids in the brain. In trying to obtain further insights into the mechanisms underlying the modulatory effects of cannabinoids, CB1-positive neurons were determined in the murine forebrain at a single cell resolution. We performed a double in situ hybridization study to detect mRNA of CB1 in combination with mRNA of glutamic acid decarboxylase 65k, neuropeptide cholecystokinin (CCK), parvalbumin, calretinin and calbindin D28k, respectively. Our results revealed that CB1-expressing cells can be divided into distinct neuronal subpopulations. There is a clear distinction between neurons containing CB1 mRNA either at high levels or low levels. The majority of high CB1-expressing cells are GABAergic (gamma-aminobutyric acid) neurons belonging mainly to the cholecystokinin-positive and parvalbumin-negative type of interneurons (basket cells) and, to a lower extent, to the calbindin D28k-positive mid-proximal dendritic inhibitory interneurons. Only a fraction of low CB1-expressing cells is GABAergic. In the hippocampus, amygdala and entorhinal cortex area, CB1 mRNA is present at low but significant levels in many non-GABAergic cells that can be considered as projecting principal neurons. Thus, a complex mechanism appears to underlie the modulatory effects of cannabinoids. They might act on principal glutamatergic circuits as well as modulate local GABAergic inhibitory circuits. CB1 is very highly coexpressed with CCK. It is known that cannabinoids and CCK often have opposite effects on behaviour and physiology. Therefore, we suggest that a putative cross-talk between cannabinoids and CCK might exist and will be relevant to better understanding of physiology and pharmacology of the cannabinoid system.

Amygdala↗
PubMed1999

Selective sensitivity of early postmitotic retinal cells to apoptosis induced by inhibition of protein synthesis.

In previous work we showed that apoptosis in retinal tissue from developing rats can be induced by inhibition of protein synthesis (Rehen et al. 1996, Development, 122, 1439-1448). Here we show that recent postmitotic cells are the cells sensitive to apoptosis triggered by blockade of protein synthesis. To label all proliferating cells in the retina, a series of injections of the nucleotide analogue, bromo-deoxy-uridine (BrdU, 60 mg/kg b.w.), was given in rat pups. Then, explants of the retina were incubated in vitro with the inhibitor of protein synthesis anisomycin (1.0-3.2 microg/mL) for 1 day to induce apoptosis. Detection of apoptotic bodies under differential interference contrast microscopy was combined with immunocytochemistry for BrdU, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) or for various markers of retinal cell differentiation. Despite the large number of BrdU- and PCNA-labelled cells in the tissue, the vast majority of the cells that underwent apoptosis were postmitotic cells which have left the mitotic cycle 3-4 days before. However, these cells were not labelled with antibodies to calretinin, calbindin, rhodopsin or to a Muller glial cell marker, suggesting that these are early postmitotic neurons. We suggest that during migration and initial differentiation, the apoptotic machinery is blocked by suppressor proteins, thus allowing recent postmitotic cells to find their final positions and differentiate while protected from apoptosis.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Selective GABAergic innervation of thalamic nuclei from zona incerta.

Thalamocortical circuits that govern cortical rhythms and ultimately effect sensory transmission consist of three major interconnected elements: excitatory thalamocortical and corticothalamic neurons and GABAergic cells in the reticular thalamic nucleus. Based on the present results, a fourth component has to be added to this scheme. GABAergic fibres from an extrareticular diencephalic source were found to selectively innervate relay cells located mainly in higher-order thalamic nuclei. The origin of this pathway was localized to zona incerta (ZI), known to receive collaterals from corticothalamic fibres. First-order nuclei were innervated only in zones showing a high density of calbindin-positive neurons. The large GABA-immunoreactive incertal terminals established multiple contacts preferentially on the proximal dendrites of relay cells via symmetrical synapses with multiple release sites. The distribution, ultrastructural characteristics and postsynaptic target selection of extrareticular terminals were similar to type II muscarinic acetylcholine receptor-positive boutons, which constituted up to 49% of all GABAergic terminals in the posterior nucleus. This suggests that a significant proportion of the GABAergic input into certain thalamic territories involved in higher-order functions may have extrareticular origin. Unlike the reticular nucleus, ZI receives peripheral and layer V cortical input but no thalamic feedback; it projects to brainstem centres and has extensive intranuclear recurrent collaterals. This indicates that ZI exerts a conceptually new type of inhibitory control over the thalamus. The proximally situated, multiple active zones of ZI terminals indicate a powerful influence on the firing properties of thalamic neurons, which is conveyed to multiple cortical areas via relay cells which have widespread projections to neocortex.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Cellular architecture of the nucleus reuniens thalami and its putative aspartatergic/glutamatergic projection to the hippocampus and medial septum in the rat.

Little is known about the neurochemical features of the nucleus reuniens thalami (RE). In the present study, immunocytochemical experiments were performed to characterize the expression pattern of certain neurochemical markers, e.g. the calcium-binding proteins calbindin and calretinin and several neuropeptides. Colocalization studies revealed that half of the calbindin-positive cells express calretinin, and numerous calretinin-immunoreactive neurons contain calbindin. In contrast, immunolabelling for neuropeptides did not reveal cell bodies in the RE. The RE establishes widespread connections with several limbic structures. To correlate these projection patterns with the neurochemical characteristics of RE neurons, the retrograde tracer [3H]D-aspartate, which is selectively taken up by high affinity uptake sites that use glutamate as neurotransmitter, and the nonselective retrograde tracer wheatgerm agglutinin-conjugated colloidal gold was injected into the stratum lacunosum moleculare of the hippocampal CA1 subfield and into the medial septum. The results provide direct anatomical demonstration of aspartatergic/glutamatergic projection from the RE to the hippocampus and to the medial septum. Nearly all of the projecting neurons proved to be calbindin-immunopositive and many of them expressed calretinin. Both retrograde labelling techniques revealed that neurons projecting to the hippocampus were located in clusters in the dorsolateral part of the RE, whereas neurons projecting to the medial septum were mainly distributed in the ventromedial portion of the nucleus, indicating that different cell populations project to these limbic areas. These results suggest that neurons in the RE are heterogeneous and contribute to the excitatory innervation of the septo-hippocampal system.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Differential expression of c-fos in subtypes of GABAergic cells following sensory stimulation in the cat primary visual cortex.

Recent immunocytochemical stainings on cat visual cortex, visually stimulated for 1 h, showed a strong induction of Fos expression in cortical neurons. We initiated immunocytochemical double staining experiments with different cytochemical markers to investigate the neurochemical and morphological character of these activated neurons showing Fos induction after sensory stimulation. Double staining with Fos and glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) demonstrated the presence of Fos in the nuclei of GABAergic neurons of the primary visual cortex. To further subdivide this Fos/GABAergic cell population we investigated whether Fos colocalized with parvalbumin, calbindin or calretinin. Colocalization of Fos with these calcium-binding proteins delineated distinct neuronal subclasses of Fos-immunoreactive neurons in supra- and infragranular layers of cat area 17. Quantitative analysis of the proportion of immunoreactive local circuit neurons revealed that 35% of the GABAergic neurons showed Fos induction in supragranular layers, whereas in infragranular layers a mere 10% of the GABAergic cells revealed Fos expression. Fos coexisted in about 24% of the calbindin-immunopositive cells within supra- and infragranular layers, but only a minority of the parvalbumin and the calretinin neuronal subgroups were immunopositive for Fos in the corresponding layers of area 17. These findings suggest that visual stimulation induces Fos expression in distinct subsets of inhibitory neurons in cat primary visual cortex.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Patterns of calcium-binding proteins support parallel and hierarchical organization of human auditory areas.

The human primary auditory cortex (AI) is surrounded by several other auditory areas, which can be identified by cyto-, myelo- and chemoarchitectonic criteria. We report here on the pattern of calcium-binding protein immunoreactivity within these areas. The supratemporal regions of four normal human brains (eight hemispheres) were processed histologically, and serial sections were stained for parvalbumin, calretinin or calbindin. Each calcium-binding protein yielded a specific pattern of labelling, which differed between auditory areas. In AI, defined as area TC [see C. von Economo and L. Horn (1930) Z. Ges. Neurol. Psychiatr.,130, 678-757], parvalbumin labelling was dark in layer IV; several parvalbumin-positive multipolar neurons were distributed in layers III and IV. Calbindin yielded dark labelling in layers I-III and V; it revealed numerous multipolar and pyramidal neurons in layers II and III. Calretinin labelling was lighter than that of parvalbumin or calbindin in AI; calretinin-positive bipolar and bitufted neurons were present in supragranular layers. In non-primary auditory areas, the intensity of labelling tended to become progressively lighter while moving away from AI, with qualitative differences between the cytoarchitectonically defined areas. In analogy to non-human primates, our results suggest differences in intrinsic organization between auditory areas that are compatible with parallel and hierarchical processing of auditory information.

Aged↗
PubMed2003

Developmental changes in calbindin-D28k and calretinin expression in the mouse suprachiasmatic nucleus.

The hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus, the primary circadian pacemaker in mammals, and the retinohypothalamic tract, the retinal afferent fibres to the suprachiasmatic nucleus, both mature during early postnatal life. The establishment of circadian rhythms is thought to depend on input from the retina, but the mechanism remains unknown. Here we examined developmental changes in the expression of the Ca2+-binding proteins calbindin-D28k and calretinin in the mouse hypothalamus. Robust calbindin-D28k immunoreactivity was observed in the dorsomedial suprachiasmatic nucleus and the supraoptic nucleus in neonatal mice (postnatal day 3). The calbindin-D28k immunoreactivity decreased significantly in the suprachiasmatic nucleus but not in the supraoptic nucleus during postnatal days 9-15, when retinohypothalamic tract projections to the suprachiasmatic nucleus are completed. Calretinin immunoreactivity was low in the neonatal suprachiasmatic nucleus and increased with development in the ventrolateral suprachiasmatic nucleus, in parallel with the developmental reduction of calbindin-D28k immunoreactivity observed in the dorsomedial suprachiasmatic nucleus. Developmentally stable calretinin immunoreactivity was also observed in retinohypothalamic tract fibres. Organotypic slice cultures of the suprachiasmatic nucleus were prepared from postnatal day 3 mice to examine the effect of the absence of retinohypothalamic tract inputs on developmental changes in calbindin-D28k and calretinin expression. After 12 days in vitro, the cultured suprachiasmatic nucleus slices exhibited dense calbindin-D28k immunoreactivity similar to neonatal mice, and calretinin immunoreactivity in the ventrolateral suprachiasmatic nucleus similar to young adult mice. These results demonstrate a developmental reduction in calbindin-D28k expression that paralleled retinohypothalamic tract formation and a developmental increase in calretinin expression that is independent of retinohypothalamic tract connections to suprachiasmatic nucleus neurons.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

VIP-containing deep short-axon cells of the olfactory bulb innervate interneurons different from granule cells.

This study investigates the targets of the population of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP)-containing deep short-axon cells of the rat olfactory bulb (OB), combining single- and double-immunocytochemical approaches under light and electron microscopy. It has been assumed that deep short-axon cells innervate granule cells in the mammalian OB, but their synaptic connectivity has not been demonstrated to date. Our results indicate that, instead of the accepted scheme of the bulbar circuitry, VIP-containing deep short-axon cells are gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic interneurons specialized in the selective innervation of other GABAergic deep short-axon cells. Their axons contact with the perisomatic region and the dendritic portions of subsets of deep short-axon cells that contain VIP, calbindin D-28k and neuropeptide Y. Electron microscopy reveals axo-somatic and axo-dendritic symmetrical synapses from VIP-containing boutons. Taken altogether, our data show that the VIP-containing deep short-axon cells of the rat OB form an interneuronal network that modulates the function of other interneurons different from granule cells. They might be involved indirectly in the inhibition or disinhibition of principal cells or might participate in the generation of oscillatory activity and in the synchronization of populations of interneurons and, then, of principal cells. Present data demonstrate that modulation of the OB by local circuits is more complex than the simple inhibition from periglomerular cells and granule cells, and remark the importance of considering the contribution of other classes of GABAergic interneurons different from periglomerular cells and granule cells to the bulbar circuitry.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Projections of chemically identified myenteric neurons of the small and large intestine of the mouse.

The projections of different subpopulations of myenteric neurons in the mouse small and large intestine were examined by combining immunohistological techniques with myotomy and myectomy operations. The myotomies were used to examine the polarity of neurons projecting within the myenteric plexus and showed that neurons containing immunoreactivity for nitric oxide synthase (NOS), vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), calbindin and 5-HT projected anally, while neurons with substance P (SP)-immunoreactivity projected orally, in both the small and large intestine. Neurons containing neuropeptide Y (NPY)- and calretinin-immunoreactivity projected locally. In the large intestine, GABA-immunoreactive neurons projected both orally and anally, with more axons tending to project anally. Myectomy operations revealed that circular muscle motor neurons containing NOS/VIP/ +/-NPY and calretinin neurons projected anally both in the small and large intestine, while SP-immunoreactive circular muscle motor neurons projected orally. In the large intestine, GABA-IR circular muscle motor neurons projected both orally and anally. This study showed that although some neurons, such as the NOS/VP inhibitory motor neurons and interneurons, SP excitatory motor neurons and 5-HT interneurons had similar projections to those in other species, the projections of other chemical classes of neurons in the mouse intestine differed from those reported in other species.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Distribution of calretinin, calbindin D28k, and parvalbumin in subcellular fractions of rat cerebellum: effects of calcium.

The distribution of calretinin, calbindin D28k, and parvalbumin was examined in subcellular fractions prepared from rat cerebellum and analyzed by immunoblot. Calretinin was also quantified by radioimmunoassay. As expected, all three soluble, EF-hand calcium-binding proteins were predominantly localized in the cytosolic fraction. Calretinin and calbindin D28k were also detected in membrane fractions. Calretinin was more abundant in synaptic membrane than in microsomal fractions. The cerebellar microsomal fraction contained the greatest concentration of membrane-associated calbindin D28k. The association of calretinin and calbindin D28k with membrane fractions was decreased in samples prepared or incubated in low calcium. Quantification of calretinin in subcellular fractions of rat cerebellum revealed a greater amount of calretinin in cytosolic fractions prepared or incubated in low calcium and reduced amounts of calretinin in all membrane fractions incubated in low calcium with the exception of the mitochondrial fraction. These results imply that calretinin and calbindin D28k might have physiological target molecules that are associated with, or are components of, brain membranes.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Antibody recognition of calcium-binding proteins depends on their calcium-binding status.

Previous studies have revealed changes in immunohistochemical stains for calcium-binding proteins after manipulations that influence intracellular calcium. Cases have been revealed in which these changes in immunoreactivity were not correlated with changes in protein amounts. The present experiments examined whether these effects might be explained by changes in antiserum recognition due to calcium-induced changes in protein conformation. Calretinin, calbindin D28k, and parvalbumin incubated in high calcium were recognized by antisera better than when they were incubated in low calcium. Using a calbindin D28k antibody, it was shown that this effect occurs within physiological calcium concentrations. Formalin fixation of the proteins in the presence of calcium resulted in greater antibody recognition than did fixation of proteins in calcium-free states. The calretinin antiserum appeared to recognize a portion of the molecule previously shown to undergo calcium-dependent conformational changes. A calcium-insensitive antiserum was made to a different fragment of calretinin. These results indicate that some antibodies to calcium-binding proteins preferentially recognize particular calcium-induced protein conformations. Given the potential for wide fluctuations in neuronal calcium, the present results indicate that quantitative estimates of intracellular calcium-binding proteins obtained from immunohistochemical studies of neurons must be interpreted with caution.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Opposite regulation of calbindin and calretinin expression by brain-derived neurotrophic factor in cortical neurons.

Regulation of calbindin and calretinin expression by brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) was examined in primary cultures of cortical neurons using immunocytochemistry and northern blot analysis. Here we report that regulation of calretinin expression by BDNF is in marked contrast to that of calbindin. Indeed, chronic exposure of cultured cortical neurons for 5 days to increasing concentrations of BDNF (0.1-10 ng/ml) resulted in a concentration-dependent decrease in the number of calretinin-positive neurons and a concentration-dependent increase in the number of calbindin-immunoreactive neurons. Consistent with the immunocytochemical analysis, BDNF reduced calretinin mRNA levels and up-regulated calbindin mRNA expression, providing evidence that modifications in gene expression accounted for the changes in the number of calretinin- and calbindin-containing neurons. Among other members of the neurotrophin family, neurotrophin-4 (NT-4), which also acts by activating tyrosine kinase TrkB receptors, exerted effects comparable to those of BDNF, whereas nerve growth factor (NGF) was ineffective. As for BDNF and NT-4, incubation of cortical neurons with neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) also led to a decrease in calretinin expression. However, in contrast to BDNF and NT-4, NT-3 did not affect calbindin expression. Double-labeling experiments evidenced that calretinin- and calbindin-containing neurons belong to distinct neuronal subpopulations, suggesting that BDNF and NT-4 exert opposite effects according to the neurochemical phenotype of the target cell.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Monoclonal antibodies recognizing epitopes of calretinins: dependence on Ca2+-binding status and differences in antigen accessibility in colon cancer cells.

Monoclonal antibodies are very helpful tools to investigate the localization and sometimes even the function of specific proteins in cells and tissues. By generating monoclonal antibodies against calretinin-22k (CR-22k), a C-terminally truncated isoform of calretinin (CR) as a result of alternative splicing of the CR mRNA, we envisaged that screening multiple monoclonal antibodies would allow the identification of CR-22k as well as CR. Both proteins share the first 178 amino acids, but have different C-termini. All three antibodies 10C10, 6B3 and 2H4 recognize recombinant CR-22k and the specificity to also recognize CR was demonstrated in brain extracts of different species and human tumour cells, which express CR. All monoclonal antibodies did not crossreact with the closely related protein calbindin D-28k. Antibody binding was depending on the Ca2+-binding status of both forms of calretinin. Generally, the Ca2+-bound form was better recognized than the Ca2+-free form. Carboxy- and amino-terminally truncated CR proteins were expressed in E. coli in order to characterize the epitopes recognized by the three antibodies. Additionally, tryptic and cyanogen bromide fragments were produced to further narrow down the sequences recognized by the three antibodies. 10C10 recognizes an epitope consisting of the linker region between EF-hand domains I and II and the N-terminal part of EF-hand II, while the others (6B3, 2H4) bind to a region including the linker between EF-hand domains III and IV. These antibodies are valuable tools to further investigate the distribution and eventually the specific function of these two proteins in the nervous tissue and under pathological conditions, e.g. in colon tumours and mesotheliomas.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2004

Division of labor among distinct subtypes of inhibitory neurons in a cortical microcircuit of working memory.

A conspicuous feature of cortical organization is the wide diversity of inhibitory interneurons; their differential computational functions remain unclear. Here we propose a local cortical circuit in which three major subtypes of interneurons play distinct roles. In a model designed for spatial working memory, stimulus tuning of persistent activity arises from the concerted action of widespread inhibition mediated by perisoma-targeting (parvalbumin-containing) interneurons and localized disinhibition of pyramidal cells via interneuron-targeting (calretinin-containing) interneurons. Moreover, resistance against distracting stimuli (a fundamental property of working memory) is dynamically controlled by dendrite-targeting (calbindin-containing) interneurons. The experimental observation of inverted tuning curves of monkey prefrontal neurons recorded during working memory supports a key model prediction. This work suggests a framework for understanding the division of labor and cooperation among different inhibitory cell types in a recurrent cortical circuit.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Cloning and expression of secretagogin, a novel neuroendocrine- and pancreatic islet of Langerhans-specific Ca2+-binding protein.

We have cloned a novel pancreatic beta cell and neuroendocrine cell-specific calcium-binding protein termed secretagogin. The cDNA obtained by immunoscreening a human pancreatic cDNA library using the recently described murine monoclonal antibody D24 contains an open reading frame of 828 base pairs. This codes for a cytoplasmic protein with six putative EF finger hand calcium-binding motifs. The gene could be localized to chromosome 6 by alignment with GenBank genomic sequence data. Northern blot analysis demonstrated abundant expression of this protein in the pancreas and to a lesser extent in the thyroid, adrenal medulla, and cortex. In addition it was expressed in scant quantity in the gastrointestinal tract (stomach, small intestine, and colon). Thyroid tissue expression of secretagogin was restricted to C-cells. Using a sandwich capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with a detection limit of 6.5 pg/ml, considerable amounts of constitutively secreted protein could be measured in tissue culture supernatants of stably transfected RIN-5F and dog insulinoma (INS-H1) cell clones; however, in stably transfected Jurkat cells, the protein was only secreted upon CD3 stimulation. Functional analysis of transfected cell lines expressing secretagogin revealed an influence on calcium flux and cell proliferation. In RIN-5F cells, the antiproliferative effect is possibly due to secretagogin-triggered down-regulation of substance P transcription.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Cortico-cortical relations of cat somatosensory areas SIV and SV.

Sensory cortex is characterized by multiple representations of a given modality which are generally highly interconnected and hierarchically arranged. The cat cerebral cortex contains at least five major areas dedicated to somatosensory processing, yet aside from areas SI and SII, little is known regarding the interconnectivity of the other, higher-level regions, such as SIV and SV. Therefore, this investigation examined the anatomical relationship of somatosensory areas SIV and SV to each other. In adult cats, wheatgerm agglutinin-horseradish peroxidase (WGA-HRP) injected into SIV produced retrogradely labeled neurons in SV in a bilaminar pattern. When biotinylated dextran amine (BDA) was injected into SV, orthogradely labeled axon terminals were found in SIV across all laminae but predominated in supragranular locations. In the reciprocal direction, neurons located in both the supra- and infragranular layers of SIV projected across all laminae of SV, but also in a manner that favored the supragranular layers. Because local inhibitory circuits are critical for specific somatosensory response properties, the distribution of GABA-ergic neurons and their co-localized markers calbindin (CB), calretinin (CR) and parvalbumin (PV) was also compared for SIV and SV using immunocytochemical techniques. Although fundamental differences in laminar arrangement were observed between the different GABA-ergic subtypes, the distribution for each subtype was essentially the same in both SIV and SV. Collectively, these connectional, cytoarchitectonic and organizational similarities indicate that SIV and SV are reciprocally connected and share many somatosensory processing and connectional features.

Animals↗