title: Compartmentation of the cerebellar cortex: adaptation to lifestyle in the star-nosed mole Condylura cristata.
abstract: The adult mammalian cerebellum is histologically uniform. However, concealed beneath the simple laminar architecture, it is organized rostrocaudally and mediolaterally into complex arrays of transverse zones and parasagittal stripes that is both highly reproducible between individuals and generally conserved across mammals and birds. Beyond this conservation, the general architecture appears to be adapted to the animal's way of life. To test this hypothesis, we have examined cerebellar compartmentation in the talpid star-nosed mole Condylura cristata. The star-nosed mole leads a subterranean life. It is largely blind and instead uses an array of fleshy appendages (the "star") to navigate and locate its prey. The hypothesis suggests that cerebellar architecture would be modified to reduce regions receiving visual input and expand those that receive trigeminal afferents from the star. Zebrin II and phospholipase Cß4 (PLCß4) immunocytochemistry was used to map the zone-and-stripe architecture of the cerebellum of the adult star-nosed mole. The general zone-and-stripe architecture characteristic of all mammals is present in the star-nosed mole. In the vermis, the four typical transverse zones are present, two with alternating zebrin II/PLCß4 stripes, two wholly zebrin II+/PLCß4-. However, the central and nodular zones (prominent visual receiving areas) are proportionally reduced in size and conversely, the trigeminal-receiving areas (the posterior zone of the vermis and crus I/II of the hemispheres) are uncharacteristically large. We therefore conclude that cerebellar architecture is generally conserved across the Mammalia but adapted to the specific lifestyle of the species.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Science, Manitoba Institute of Child Health (MICH), College of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Rm129, BMSB, 745 Bannatyne Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3E 0 J9, Canada, Hassan.Marzban@med.umanitoba.ca.
authors.forename: Hassan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Marzban
authors.forename: Nathan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hoy
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Buchok
authors.forename: Kenneth C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Catania
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hawkes
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000818:Animals; D064026:Calbindins / Q000378:metabolism; D002525:Cerebellar Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology*; D004777:Environment; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008971:Moles / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D054799:Phospholipase C beta / Q000378:metabolism; D011689:Purkinje Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D064026:Calbindins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C071871:zebrin II; D054799:Phospholipase C beta