Subpallial amygdala and nucleus taeniae in birds resemble extended amygdala and medial amygdala in mammals in their expression of markers of regional identity.
Two regions were recently recognized as subpallial amygdaloid nuclei in birds, the nucleus taeniae of the amygdala (TnA) and the newly identified subpallial amygdala (SpA). Here we further confirm these nuclei to be subpallial and amygdaloid and show similarity to specific mammalian subpallial amygdaloid nuclei. By its topological, connectional and neurochemical traits, avian TnA has been suggested to be comparable to mammalian medial amygdala (MeA) and SpA to be comparable to the sublenticular part of mammalian extended amygdala (ExA). We examined molecular traits of these areas using immunohistochemistry for limbic system-associated membrane protein (LAMP) and in situ hybridization for glutamic acid decarboxylase-65 (GAD65) and chicken ovalbumin upstream promoter-transcription factor II (COUP-TF II). Mammalian GAD65 is a subpallial marker and was enriched in ExA and MeA. Chick GAD65 was enriched in SpA and TnA, indicating that they are subpallial. LAMP, which is enriched in limbic regions such as mammalian ExA and MeA, was enriched in avian SpA and TnA. COUP-TF II was enriched in mammalian amygdala including MeA and ExA to a lesser extent. In birds, COUP-TF II was enriched in TnA and moderate in SpA. Overlap of these markers confirms avian TnA resembles mammalian MeA and SpA resembles ExA.
Yamamoto
Kei
K
Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, 38163, USA. kyamano1@utmem.edu
Sun
Zhiqiang
Z
Wang
Hong Bing
HB
Reiner
Anton
A
D000679:Amygdala / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D015816:Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002645:Chickens; D010856:Columbidae; D058851:GPI-Linked Proteins; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D005968:Glutamate Decarboxylase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D017403:In Situ Hybridization / Q000379:methods; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013045:Species Specificity
D015816:Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal; D058851:GPI-Linked Proteins; D007527:Isoenzymes; C095362:limbic system-associated membrane protein; D005968:Glutamate Decarboxylase; C401141:glutamate decarboxylase 2