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Functional coupling between substantia nigra and basal ganglia homologues in amphibians.
- Source :
-
Behavioral neuroscience [Behav Neurosci] 2007 Dec; Vol. 121 (6), pp. 1393-9. - Publication Year :
- 2007
-
Abstract
- Neuroanatomical and pharmacological experiments support the existence of a homologue of the mammalian substantia nigra-basal ganglia circuit in the amphibian brain. Demarcation of borders between the striatum and pallidum in frogs, however, has been contentious, and direct evidence of functional coupling between the putative nigral and striatal homologues is lacking. To clarify basal ganglia function in anurans, the authors used expression of immediate-early gene egr-1 as a marker of neural activation in the basal ganglia of túngara frogs (Physalaemus pustulosus). Regional variation in egr-1 mRNA levels distinguished striatal and pallidal portions of the basal ganglia and supported the grouping of the striatopallidal transition zone with the dorsal pallidum. As further evidence for a functional coupling between the dopaminergic cells in the posterior tuberculum (the putative substantia nigra homologue) and the basal ganglia, a positive relationship was demonstrated between the size of the dopaminergic cell population and the neural activation levels within the dorsal pallidum.
- Subjects :
- Animals
Early Growth Response Protein 2 genetics
Early Growth Response Protein 2 metabolism
Male
Neural Pathways physiology
RNA, Messenger metabolism
Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase metabolism
Anura anatomy & histology
Basal Ganglia anatomy & histology
Basal Ganglia physiology
Gene Expression physiology
Substantia Nigra anatomy & histology
Substantia Nigra physiology
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 0735-7044
- Volume :
- 121
- Issue :
- 6
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Behavioral neuroscience
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 18085893
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1037/0735-7044.121.6.1393