Comparative neocortical neuromorphology in felids: African lion, African leopard, and cheetah
Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
Standard
Comparative neocortical neuromorphology in felids : African lion, African leopard, and cheetah. / Nguyen, Vivian T.; Uchida, Riri; Warling, Allysa; Sloan, Lucy J.; Saviano, Mark S.; Wicinski, Bridget; Hård, Therese; Bertelsen, Mads F.; Stimpson, Cheryl D.; Bitterman, Kathleen; Schall, Matthew; Hof, Patrick R.; Sherwood, Chet C.; Manger, Paul R.; Spocter, Muhammad A.; Jacobs, Bob.
In: Journal of Comparative Neurology, Vol. 528, No. 8, 2020, p. 1392-1422.Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
Harvard
APA
Vancouver
Author
Bibtex
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
T1 - Comparative neocortical neuromorphology in felids
T2 - African lion, African leopard, and cheetah
AU - Nguyen, Vivian T.
AU - Uchida, Riri
AU - Warling, Allysa
AU - Sloan, Lucy J.
AU - Saviano, Mark S.
AU - Wicinski, Bridget
AU - Hård, Therese
AU - Bertelsen, Mads F.
AU - Stimpson, Cheryl D.
AU - Bitterman, Kathleen
AU - Schall, Matthew
AU - Hof, Patrick R.
AU - Sherwood, Chet C.
AU - Manger, Paul R.
AU - Spocter, Muhammad A.
AU - Jacobs, Bob
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
PY - 2020
Y1 - 2020
N2 - The present study examines cortical neuronal morphology in the African lion (Panthera leo leo), African leopard (Panthera pardus pardus), and cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus jubatus). Tissue samples were removed from prefrontal, primary motor, and primary visual cortices and investigated with a Golgi stain and computer-assisted morphometry to provide somatodendritic measures of 652 neurons. Although neurons in the African lion were insufficiently impregnated for accurate quantitative dendritic measurements, descriptions of neuronal morphologies were still possible. Qualitatively, the range of spiny and aspiny neurons across the three species was similar to those observed in other felids, with typical pyramidal neurons being the most prominent neuronal type. Quantitatively, somatodendritic measures of typical pyramidal neurons in the cheetah were generally larger than in the African leopard, despite similar brain sizes. A MARsplines analysis of dendritic measures correctly differentiated 87.4% of complete typical pyramidal neurons between the African leopard and cheetah. In addition, unbiased stereology was used to compare the soma size of typical pyramidal neurons (n = 2,238) across all three cortical regions and gigantopyramidal neurons (n = 1,189) in primary motor and primary visual cortices. Both morphological and stereological analyses indicated that primary motor gigantopyramidal neurons were exceptionally large across all three felids compared to other carnivores, possibly due to specializations related to the felid musculoskeletal systems. The large size of these neurons in the cheetah which, unlike lions and leopards, does not belong to the Panthera genus, suggests that exceptionally enlarged primary motor gigantopyramidal neurons evolved independently in these felid species.
AB - The present study examines cortical neuronal morphology in the African lion (Panthera leo leo), African leopard (Panthera pardus pardus), and cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus jubatus). Tissue samples were removed from prefrontal, primary motor, and primary visual cortices and investigated with a Golgi stain and computer-assisted morphometry to provide somatodendritic measures of 652 neurons. Although neurons in the African lion were insufficiently impregnated for accurate quantitative dendritic measurements, descriptions of neuronal morphologies were still possible. Qualitatively, the range of spiny and aspiny neurons across the three species was similar to those observed in other felids, with typical pyramidal neurons being the most prominent neuronal type. Quantitatively, somatodendritic measures of typical pyramidal neurons in the cheetah were generally larger than in the African leopard, despite similar brain sizes. A MARsplines analysis of dendritic measures correctly differentiated 87.4% of complete typical pyramidal neurons between the African leopard and cheetah. In addition, unbiased stereology was used to compare the soma size of typical pyramidal neurons (n = 2,238) across all three cortical regions and gigantopyramidal neurons (n = 1,189) in primary motor and primary visual cortices. Both morphological and stereological analyses indicated that primary motor gigantopyramidal neurons were exceptionally large across all three felids compared to other carnivores, possibly due to specializations related to the felid musculoskeletal systems. The large size of these neurons in the cheetah which, unlike lions and leopards, does not belong to the Panthera genus, suggests that exceptionally enlarged primary motor gigantopyramidal neurons evolved independently in these felid species.
KW - cerebral cortex
KW - dendrites
KW - gigantopyramidal neuron
KW - Golgi stain
KW - pyramidal neuron
KW - RRID:SCR_001775
KW - RRID:SCR_001905
KW - RRID:SCR_002526
U2 - 10.1002/cne.24823
DO - 10.1002/cne.24823
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 31749162
AN - SCOPUS:85076760688
VL - 528
SP - 1392
EP - 1422
JO - The Journal of Comparative Neurology
JF - The Journal of Comparative Neurology
SN - 0021-9967
IS - 8
ER -
ID: 282937366