title: Anatomical organization of the sexually dimorphic perineal neuromuscular system in the house mouse.
abstract: The anatomy of the sexually dimorphic motoneuron nuclei of the bulbocavernosus (BC) and ischiocavernosus (IC) muscles, as well as the non-sexually dimorphic external and sphincter (EAS), was examined in hybrid B6D2F1 mice using the retrograde tracer, cholera toxin-bound horseradish peroxidase. Motoneurons innervating the BC were located in the dorsomedial nucleus (DM), as well as in the ventral nucleus (V) and in the mid-region of the ventral horn (MVH). Following injections restricted to the IC, labelled neurons were found in the dorsolateral nucleus (DL), as well as in V, DM and MVH. Cells innervating the EAS in both males and females were located in the DM, as well as in the V and MVH. An elaborate network of dendrites extended between all labelled nuclei. The present results demonstrate that the anatomical specificity of the sexually dimorphic neuromuscular system of the mouse differs from that observed in other species.
authors: Department of Zoology, Michigan State University, East Lansing 48824.
authors: C K
authors: CK
authors: Wagner
authors: L G
authors: LG
authors: Clemens
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002772:Cholera Toxin; D006735:Horseradish Peroxidase; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000166:cytology*; D009132:Muscles / Q000294:innervation* / Q000502:physiology; D010502:Perineum / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000294:innervation*; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: C052635:cholera toxin, B subunit-horseradish peroxidase; D002772:Cholera Toxin; D006735:Horseradish Peroxidase