title: Morphometric variability of minicolumns in the striate cortex of Homo sapiens, Macaca mulatta, and Pan troglodytes.
abstract: Radially oriented ensembles of neurons and their projections, termed minicolumns, are hypothesized to be the basic microcircuit of mammalian cerebral cortex. Minicolumns can be divided into a core and a peripheral neuropil space compartment. The core of minicolumns is constrained by the migratory path of pyramidal cells and their attendant radially oriented projections. Variation in minicolumnar morphometry and density is observed both within and across species. Using a scale-independent measure of variability in minicolumnar width (V(CW)), we demonstrated a significant increase in V(CW) in layers III-V of striate cortex in humans relative to macaques and chimpanzees. Despite changes in minicolumnar width (CW) across species, their core space (w) remained the same. Given that cellular elements and processes within the peripheral neuropil space of minicolumns are derived from assorted sources, cross-species differences in VCW may result from genetic and epigenetic influences acting primarily on this compartment of the minicolumn.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Louisville, Kentucky 40292, USA. M0CASA02@Louisville.edu
authors.forename: Manuel F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Casanova
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Trippe
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tillquist
authors.forename: Andrew E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Switala
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007223:Infant; D016014:Linear Models; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008875:Middle Aged; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology*; D002679:Pan troglodytes; D010781:Photography; D013045:Species Specificity; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000166:cytology* / Q000196:embryology