TY - JOUR
T1 - Distribution of iron in the parrot brain
T2 - Conserved (pallidal) and derived (nigral) labeling patterns
AU - Roberts, Todd F.
AU - Brauth, Steven E.
AU - Hall, William S.
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors would like to thank Avis Cohen for the generous use of her CCD camera and microscope, Sanovia Smith for her technical assistance, Kathy Nepote and Nakita Charles for their excellent veterinary and animal care and the two anonymous reviewers for their thoughtful and constructive comments. This research was supported in part by training grant MH-20048-01A1 from the National Institute of Mental Health (T.F.R.) and a National Science Foundation grant IBN 9816061 (S.E.B.).
Copyright:
Copyright 2007 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2001/12/7
Y1 - 2001/12/7
N2 - The distribution of iron in the brain of a vocal learning parrot, the budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus), was examined using iron histochemistry. In mammals, iron is a highly specific stain for the dorsal and ventral pallidal subdivision as well as specific cell groups in the brainstem, including the substantia nigra pars reticulata [Neuroscience 11 (1984) 595-603]. The purpose of this study was to compare the distribution of iron in the mammalian and avian brain focusing on pallidal and nigral cell groups. The results show that in the avian brain, iron stains oligodendrocytes, neurons and the neuropil. Cell staining changes dramatically along the rostrocaudal axis, with neuronal labeling confined to regions caudal to the thalamus and oligodendrocyte labeling denser in regions rostral to the dorsal thalamus. Many sensory forebrain regions contain appreciable iron labeling, including telencephalic vocal control nuclei. The dorsal and ventral subdivision of the avian pallidum, along with the basal ganglia component of the vocal control circuit, the magnicellular nucleus of the lobus parolfactorius, stain heavily for iron. Several brainstem regions, including nucleus rotundus, the medial spiriform nucleus (SpM), the principle nucleus of the trigeminal nerve, nucleus laminaris and scattered cell groups throughout the isthmus and pontine reticular formation stain intensely for iron. Within SpM neuronal labeling is more intense in the medial division while oligodendrocyte labeling is more intense in the lateral division surprisingly no nigral iron staining was observed. Our results imply that iron is a conserved marker for the pallidum in birds and mammals, but that patterns of nigral staining have diverged in birds and mammals. Differences in iron staining patterns between birds and mammals may also reflect the relatively greater importance of the collothalamic visual pathways, pretectal-cerebellar pathways and specialized vocal learning circuitry in avian sensory and motor processing.
AB - The distribution of iron in the brain of a vocal learning parrot, the budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus), was examined using iron histochemistry. In mammals, iron is a highly specific stain for the dorsal and ventral pallidal subdivision as well as specific cell groups in the brainstem, including the substantia nigra pars reticulata [Neuroscience 11 (1984) 595-603]. The purpose of this study was to compare the distribution of iron in the mammalian and avian brain focusing on pallidal and nigral cell groups. The results show that in the avian brain, iron stains oligodendrocytes, neurons and the neuropil. Cell staining changes dramatically along the rostrocaudal axis, with neuronal labeling confined to regions caudal to the thalamus and oligodendrocyte labeling denser in regions rostral to the dorsal thalamus. Many sensory forebrain regions contain appreciable iron labeling, including telencephalic vocal control nuclei. The dorsal and ventral subdivision of the avian pallidum, along with the basal ganglia component of the vocal control circuit, the magnicellular nucleus of the lobus parolfactorius, stain heavily for iron. Several brainstem regions, including nucleus rotundus, the medial spiriform nucleus (SpM), the principle nucleus of the trigeminal nerve, nucleus laminaris and scattered cell groups throughout the isthmus and pontine reticular formation stain intensely for iron. Within SpM neuronal labeling is more intense in the medial division while oligodendrocyte labeling is more intense in the lateral division surprisingly no nigral iron staining was observed. Our results imply that iron is a conserved marker for the pallidum in birds and mammals, but that patterns of nigral staining have diverged in birds and mammals. Differences in iron staining patterns between birds and mammals may also reflect the relatively greater importance of the collothalamic visual pathways, pretectal-cerebellar pathways and specialized vocal learning circuitry in avian sensory and motor processing.
KW - Bird
KW - Budgerigar
KW - Cerebellum
KW - Pretectum
KW - Substantia nigra
KW - Ventral pallidum
KW - Vocal control
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0035824273&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0035824273&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/S0006-8993(01)03110-9
DO - 10.1016/S0006-8993(01)03110-9
M3 - Article
C2 - 11720720
AN - SCOPUS:0035824273
SN - 0006-8993
VL - 921
SP - 138
EP - 149
JO - Brain Research
JF - Brain Research
IS - 1-2
ER -