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Effects of Yariv phenylglycoside on cell wall assembly in the lily pollen tube.

Arabinogalactan-proteins (AGPs) are proteoglycans with a high level of galactose and arabinose. Their current functions in plant development remain speculative. In this study, (beta-D-glucosyl)3 Yariv phenyl-glycoside [(beta-D-Glc)3] was used to perturb AGPs at the plasmalemma-cell wall interface in order to understand their functional significance in cell wall assembly during pollen tube growth. Lily (Lilium longiflorum Thunb.) pollen tubes, in which AGPs are deposited at the tip, were used as a model. Yariv phenylglycoside destabilizes the normal intercalation of new cell wall subunits, while exocytosis of the secretory vesicles still occurs. The accumulated components at the tip are segregated between fibrillar areas of homogalacturonans and translucent domains containing callose and AGPs. We propose that the formation of AGP/(beta-D-Glc)3 complexes is responsible for the lack of proper cell wall assembly. Pectin accumulation and callose synthesis at the tip may also change the molecular architecture of the cell wall and explain the lack of proper cell wall assembly. The data confirm the importance of AGPs in pollen tube growth and emphasize their role in the deposition of cell wall subunits within the previously synthesized cell wall.

Cell Wall↗

Diaphorase-positive neurons in the cingulate cortex of human fetuses during the second half of gestation.

In this work, the time course of appearance, distribution and morphology of diaphorase-positive neurons were studied in the developing cingulate cortex of the human brain during the second half of gestation. Five human fetuses at 18, 20, 25, 30 and 35 weeks postovulatory (wpo) were examined. The brain tissue was reacted by an indirect histochemistry protocol for detection of NADPH-diaphorase activity. Labeled neurons were identified at the microscope and documented photographically or by computer-aided charts. We have found that heavily labeled neurons (type I) first appear in the subplate (SP) between 20 and 25 wpo, and in the cortical plate (CP) between 25 and 35 wpo. By 35 wpo, CP neurons were both type I and type II (lightly labeled neurons). In addition, we observed 4 different morphological types among subplate neurons, very similar to callosally-projecting subplate cells (as described previously by our group). We concluded that medial nitridergic neurons of humans appear prenatally according to the usual gradient of cortical maturation -- first in the subplate and later in the cortical plate. Also, we suggest that some of the diaphorase-positive neurons in the transient subplate could possibly be callosal.

Embryonic and Fetal Development↗

Axon growth failure following corpus callosum lesions precedes glial reaction in perinatal rats.

The present study compares the glial reactivity and the axon growth following corpus callosum (CC) lesions, in perinatal rats. Lesions were performed on fetal (E17 to E20) and early postnatal (P0 and P2) rats. The reactive glia and the presence of neural fibers were detected by immunohistochemical staining of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and neurofilament protein (NFP), respectively. The callosal axons failed (at least in part) to penetrate the lesioned area already after E18 lesions, and the lesioned area was always impenetrable for axons after E20 and P0 lesions. In these cases, the lesioned part of the CC was completely or nearly devoid of GFAP as well as NFP. The distributions of the immunopositivities to GFAP and NFP also coincided with each other, both in the intact part of the CC and along the alternative courses of the callosal axons. GFAP-immunopositive reactive glia accompanied to the deficiency of NFP-immunostaining only when animals were lesioned at P2. Nestin immunostaining revealed astrocytes or their precursors already at P0, but reactive glia were detected only after P2 lesions, as with immunostaining to GFAP. The results suggest that the age after which the lesioned area proves to be impenetrable for axons can precede that age after which lesions provoke glial reaction. In this case the inhibition of axon growth is to be attributed to factors other than to the reactive glia. The presence of nestin-positive cells suggests that the lack of reactive glia along the lesion track was not due to the absence of astrocytes, but rather due to the lack of their reaction to lesion. In this developmental stage astroglia, when activated, seem to promote the growth of axons.

Aging↗

Plasmodesmata in Arabidopsis thaliana suspension cells.

A current challenge in plant biology is to identify the structural and functional components of plasmodesmata (PDs). The use of plant tissue as a source material for plasmodesmal characterisation has had limited success, so we have explored the frequency and features of PDs occurring in suspension cell cultures of Arabidopsis thaliana. This material has the advantages of homogeneity, quantity, and ease of disruption. Using light and electron microscopy and immunostaining for callose and calreticulin, we showed that suspension cells laid down abundant PDs in division walls, and that vestiges of these structures were retained as half PDs even when the cell-to-cell contacts were disrupted during culture growth. Although callose was a reliable marker for PD distribution, which was deposited in an organised collar around the neck of PDs, it was not abundant in unstressed cells. Calreticulin and the chemical stain 3,3'-dihexyloxacarbocyanine iodide also provided useful markers when monitoring PDs in cell wall preparations by light microscopy. Purified cell walls were shown to be virtually free of contamination from cytoplasmic components, except for the presence of small amounts of cortical endoplasmic reticulum attached to PDs. Hence, clean cell walls from A. thaliana suspension cells provide a valuable resource for a proteomic approach to the analysis of plasmodesmal components.

Arabidopsis↗

A modified Hohmann method for hallux valgus and telescoping osteotomy for lesser toe deformities in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

To preserve the function of metatarsophalangeal joints and to ensure forefoot stability in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), we performed a modified Hohmann method for hallux valgus (HV) and telescoping osteotomy of lesser toe deformities instead of fusion of HV or resection of all metatarsal heads. From October 1995 through March 2001, 47 RA patients (90 feet) with severe HV and forefoot deformities were examined. The indication for the procedure in all the patients was disabling foot pain secondary to intractable plantar callosities below the lesser metatarsal heads, painful HV deformities, and the severe deviation of the sesamoid complex diagnosed by the basis of X-ray images. The HV and intermetatarsal (M1M2 and M1M5) angles and sesamoid complex were measured on the preoperative and postoperative roentgenograms. According to the results of a questionnaire survey, the patients were divided into three groups using the visual analogue scale; group 1: satisfied, group 2: fair and or no pain, group 3: dissatisfied. HV and M1M2 angles significantly improved compared between pre- and postoperative or preoperative and the follow-up periods. Out of the 47 patients, 78.9% were satisfied with the results of the operation and 8.9% were dissatisfied. Of these patients, 12.2% reported fair results. There were several complications, such as painful callosity, which was recurrent in seven feet, and delayed wound healing was observed in two out of 90 feet. A modified Hohmann method and abductor hallucis correction are effective in relieving pain and ensuring the bony union of the great toe in spite of severe osteoporosis.

Adult↗

Midline cystic malformations of the brain: imaging diagnosis and classification based on embryologic analysis.

This article describes a classification and imaging diagnosis of intracranial midline cystic malformations based on neuroembryologic analysis. Midline cystic malformations are classified into two categories from an embryologic point of view. In one category, the cyst represents expansion of the roof plate of the brain vesicle, and in the other the cyst consists of extraaxial structures such as an arachnoid membrane or migrating ependymal cells. Infratentorial cysts, such as the Dandy-Walker cyst or Blake's pouch cyst, and supratentorial cysts, such as a communicating interhemispheric cyst with callosal agenesis or a dorsal cyst with holoprosencephaly, are included in the first category. Infratentorial arachnoid cavities, such as the arachnoid cyst, arachnoid pouch, and mega cisterna magna, are in the second category. Noncommunicating interhemispheric cysts, such as interhemispheric arachnoid cyst or ependymal cyst, with callosal agenesis are also in the second category. A careful review of embryologic development is essential for understanding these midline cysts and for making a more accurate radiologic diagnosis.

Arachnoid Cysts↗

A factor analysis of the human's corpus callosum.

We have recently developed a computer program for measuring midsagittal sections of the human corpus callosum, similar to one used for the rat. Callosal area, perimeter, axis length, and 99 widths for 104 subjects were entered into a factor analysis in order to define regional clusters. Seven width factors were obtained. Regional widths were found to be sensitive to Sex X Handedness interactions in the anterior body, with right-handed females and left-handed males being larger. In the posterior body males had wider callosa than females. A further analysis within the 'isthmus' region compared consistent and non-consistent right-handed males and females. Consistent right-handed males and both female groups had smaller callosa than non-consistent right-handed males. These findings confirmed the use of consistency of handedness as an important independent variable with respect to human callosal morphology.

Adult↗

Serotonergic suppression of interhemispheric cortical synaptic potentials.

The inhibitory effects of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) on interhemispheric and intracortical synaptic potentials in layer V neurons of the rat medial prefrontal (MFC) cortex were examined. Low concentrations (1-3 microM) of 5-HT selectively attenuated polysynaptic potentials that were similarly evoked by callosal or white matter stimulation. Maximally effective concentrations of 5-HT blocked interhemispheric transmission by 50-90%, as evidenced by an attention of the short latency callosal depolarizing synaptic potential (e-DPSP). These effects of 5-HT were not associated with a change in membrane potential or input resistance. The e-DPSP was characterized as having an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) and a non-NMDA component; the non-NMDA component was attenuated by 5-HT. Attenuation of the synaptic potential was accompanied by an attenuation of a postsynaptic glutamate potential. Suppression of both the e-DPSP and the glutamate potential was concentration dependent with 10-100 microM being maximally effective. The 5-HT1A/2 antagonist, spiperone, antagonized the effects of 5-HT on synaptic and glutamate potentials. Spiperone (1 microM) shifted the concentration-effect curves for suppression of the e-DPSP and the glutamate potential to the right; however, the Kb for the glutamate potential concentration-effect curve was 10 times that for the e-DPSP curve. The differential antagonist sensitivity of synaptic and glutamate potentials was an indication that serotonin acted on more than one receptor subtype to reduce interhemispheric transmission.

2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate↗

GABA-immunopositive neurons in rat neocortex with contralateral projections to S-I.

The callosal projection is traditionally believed to be exclusively excitatory in function. A new method combining lectin-conjugated colloidal gold for retrograde tracing with immunofluorescence for GABA was used to investigate this question. The large majority of neurons retrogradely labeled after injections of tracer into contralateral S-I were GABA-negative cells in layers II-VI. However, GABA-positive neurons projecting to contralateral S-I were also seen. The majority of double-labeled cells were only weakly labeled with tracer; they were located both in superficial and deep cortical layers and represented at least 1% of all retrogradely labeled neurons. Neurons double-labeled for both tracer and GABA in upper layers were found mainly within the central patch of callosally projecting neurons, whereas those in deep layers were scattered throughout contralateral cortex.

Animals↗

Midsagittal transection of the optic chiasm and the corpus callosum induces visual split brain in cats: the effect on ocular dominance and responsiveness to cells in the visual cortex.

The geniculocortical pathways from the contralateral eye and the callosal pathway were interrupted in cats in order to study how cortical cells are influenced by changes induced in the interhemispheric transfer of visual information. Unit recording was carried out from areas 17 and 18 boundary, the callosal projection zone. The ocular dominance distribution of cortical cells showed absence of interhemispheric interaction. The visual areas in the two sides of the brain thus functioned independently, presenting a condition of visual split brain. This also has been reflected by the absence of compensatory visual inputs via an alternative commissural pathway. Furthermore, remarkable diminution in the excitability level was found as indicated by the reduction in the proportion of visually responsive cells. Finally, the results of the split brain cat reflect the condition of the individual operations from which it is composed.

Animals↗

Effects of a hybrid maternal environment on brain growth and corpus callosum defects of inbred BALB/c mice: a study using ovarian grafting.

The corpus callosum of many but not all BALB/c mice is either abnormally small or absent. The basis for the defect is hereditary, but the proportion of mice expressing the anomaly can be modified by changing the early environment. The present study investigated the effects of an F1 hybrid maternal environment, which is known to promote better fetal development than an inbred environment, on body and brain growth in BALB/c and on the incidence of the corpus callosal defect. Ovarian follicle cells from BALB/cWah (albino) mice were grafted into pigmented F1 hybrid, BALB/cWah, and pigmented BALB female hosts of comparable age which were subsequently mated to BALB/cWah males. Groups of unoperated BALB/cWah and pigmented BALB dams were included as controls. Data from 111 litters were analyzed. Results showed that BALB mice with F1 mothers had heavier bodies at birth, weaning, and 100 days of age and heavier brains at 100 days than those with either grafted or ungrafted BALB mothers. The effects at birth were evident across all litter sizes (2 to 11), but those at weaning and 100 days were seen only in litters of more than 5 or 6. Neither the F1 hybrid maternal environment nor the grafting procedure itself appeared to influence the incidence or expression of the corpus callosal defect. About 22% of the offspring from each of the three groups (ungrafted BALB, grafted BALB, and grafted F1) showed a defective corpus callosum.

Agenesis of Corpus Callosum↗

Electrical properties of axons within probst bundles of acallosal mice and callosi that have reformed upon glial-coated polymer implants.

Lesioning of the developing cerebral midline and corpus callosum of mice results in the formation of bilateral masses of axons known as Probst's longitudinal bundles. These ectopic axons were examined using an in vitro brain slice technique, and they were found to be functional and to have electrical properties that were similar to those of the unlesioned corpus callosum at a comparable age. When a nitrocellulose bridge is properly oriented at the site of the callosal lesion in neonates, the implant will support the migration of glia which, in turn, promote the redirection of callosal axons across the midline. These axons were also analyzed by in vitro brain slice techniques, and they were found to be functional and to have electrical properties that were similar to the unlesioned corpus callosum with respect to conduction velocity and chronaxie but dissimilar with respect to charge threshold and rheobase current.

Animals↗

Individual variability in cortical organization: its relationship to brain laterality and implications to function.

The human brain and the brains of most mammals studied for this purpose demonstrate hemispheric asymmetry of gross anatomical landmarks and/or architectonic cortical subdivisions. The magnitude as well as the direction of these cortical asymmetries vary among individuals, and in some species there exist significant population directional biases. The magnitude, if not the direction, of cortical asymmetry is found to predict for relative numbers of neurons comprising a given pair of hemispheric architectonic homologues such that the more asymmetric the region is, the smaller the number of neurons. Similarly, the more asymmetric a region is, the smaller the density of interhemispheric connections and (probably) the greater the density of intrahemispheric connections. Developmentally, the decrease in the number of neurons characterizing the more asymmetrical regions appears to reflect mainly increased unilateral ontogenetic cell loss, and diminished callosal connectivity might signify increased developmental axonal pruning. These relationships between cell numbers, callosal connections, and presumed intrahemispheric relationships can be entertained to explain variability in anatomo-clinical correlations for language function and aphasia between left- and right-handers and men and women.

Animals↗

Interhemispheric depth judgement.

Interhemispheric depth comparisons were studied by requiring subjects to align in depth two textured plates, one presented to the left hemifield and the other to the right. Callosal agenesis subjects and neurologically-normal control subjects adjusted the plates so that they appeared to be at the same distance. Subjects viewed the plates monocularly or binocularly while keeping their head still, moving it side-to-side or moving it up and down. Subjects fixated a target located between the two plates while performing the task. For all subjects, the results showed that the deviations from veridical settings were significantly smaller for the binocular than for the monocular viewing conditions. Moreover, there were no significant differences among the three binocular viewing conditions (horizontal, vertical or no head movement), indicating that neither vertical nor horizontal motion parallax improves the precision of depth judgement when binocular disparity is available. These results further suggest that the precision of interhemispheric comparison for binocular depth is not affected by the absence of the corpus callosum. Looking at the plates monocularly, the control subjects judge the relative depth between the plates more precisely when they moved their head than when they kept it still. These results show that motion parallax is a useful depth cue when relative motion is extracted from different hemifields. Unlike the control subjects, the callosal agenesis subjects did not judge the relative depth between the plates more precisely when they moved their head than when they kept it still. These results show that interhemispheric comparison of depth using relative motion is not possible without the corpus callosum.

Adult↗

Further evidence that the callosum is involved in sustaining attention.

This study is a follow-up to a previous study that found a correlation between callosal efficiency and sustained attention. Normal children were tested on a vigilance task in which the amount of time between target presentations (interstimulus interval; ISI) was varied. Efficiency of the anterior callosum was assessed by a task that required subjects to perform incongruent movements with the left and right hands simultaneously. Subjects who showed less interference between the two hands missed fewer signals on the vigilance task after the longer ISIs, suggesting callosal involvement in the ability to sustain attention over a long period of time in the absence of sensory input. Age differences in the sustained attention were also observed.

Age Factors↗

The corpus callosum and cerebral speech lateralization.

In order to specify the callosal involvement in the establishment of cerebral lateralization, a dichotic listening task was administered to six subjects with congenital absence of the corpus callosum, two callosotomized patients, and two hemispherectomized patients. The acallosal subjects were also compared to six subjects matched for age, sex, and hand dominance as well as to six subjects also matched for IQ. Our findings indicate that language functions, as assessed by dichotic listening performance, are more strongly lateralized in callosal agenesis subjects than in IQ-matched normal controls. Our results also reveal that hemispherectomized patients typically show a strong ear-advantage favoring the ear contralateral to their remaining hemisphere. Callosotomized patients, on the other hand, show a more variable pattern of results that seems to be related to the postsurgical time interval. Finally, our findings suggest that there might be a relationship between IQ and lateralization in subjects with borderline or mild deficiency.

Adolescent↗

Basic connectivity of the cerebral cortex and some considerations on the corpus callosum.

Studies on the connectivity of the cerebral cortex have lent strong support to the idea that the cortex is an associative network in which information is stored by ways of Hebbian cell assemblies. One of the main arguments for this is the elaborated system of cortico-cortical long-range connections which allows distant regions of the cortex to interact. Part of this system is the corpus callosum, which is responsible for the co-operation of the two cortical hemispheres. The following points are interesting with regard to interhemispheric co-operation: (1) the callosal system includes fewer neurons than the system of intrahemispheric long-range connections; (2) the mirror image activity induced by the callosal system may be advantageous for the ignition of cell assemblies; (3) the fibres of the corpus callosum differ considerably in thickness, which may be considered as anatomical evidence for more direct co-operation of the two hemispheres in some tasks rather than in others; and (4) a complex relationship between brain size and fibre thickness becomes evident in the corpus callosum, in which only some fibres seem to compensate for the longer conduction times in larger brains.

Animals↗

Prenatal schedule of appearance of mouse brain commissures.

Different inbred mouse strains and hybrid crosses develop at different rates prenatally, but when brains of fetuses with the same extent of external morphological maturity are compared, a very precise schedule of appearance of major fibre tracts at the mid-sagittal plane is apparent. Using fetuses ranging in age from 13.0 to 18.0 days, the general order or arrival of fibre tracts at midplane is: posterior commissure, optic chiasm, stria terminalis, habenular commissure, columns of the fornix, anterior commissure, hippocampal commissure and corpus callosum. The corpus callosum crosses midplane at least one full day after the other fibre tracts, and it crosses just dorsal to the hippocampal commissure. The data suggest that the interhemispheric fibres from neocortex which are prevented from crossing midplane in some BALB/c mice do not find an alternative pathway via the anterior commissure, as they do in many marsupials with no corpus callosum, because the anterior commissure forms about two days before the callosal fibres normally cross midplane and is relatively mature when the callosal fibres are diverted away from midplane.

Animals↗