title: Nuclear organisation of some immunohistochemically identifiable neural systems in five species of insectivore-Crocidura cyanea, Crocidura olivieri, Sylvisorex ollula, Paraechinus aethiopicus and Atelerix frontalis.
abstract: The organization of the cholinergic, catecholaminergic, and serotonergic neurons in the brains of five species of insectivores and the orexinergic (hypocretinergic) system in four insectivore species is presented. We aimed to investigate the nuclear complement of these neural systems in comparison to those of other mammalian species. Brains of insectivores were coronally sectioned and immunohistochemically stained with antibodies against choline acetyltransferase, tyrosine hydroxylase, serotonin and orexin-A. The majority of nuclei were similar among the species investigated and to mammals in general, but certain differences in the nuclear complement highlighted potential phylogenetic interrelationships. In the cholinergic system, the three shrew species lacked parabigeminal and Edinger-Westphal nuclei. In addition, the appearance of the laterodorsal tegmental nucleus in all insectivores revealed a mediodorsal arch. All three of these features are the same as those present in microchiropterans. The catecholaminergic system of the three shrew species lacked the A4 and A15d nuclei, as well as having an incipient A9v nucleus, again features found in microchiropteran brains. The serotonergic and orexinergic systems of the insectivores are similar to those seen across most eutherian mammals. The analysis of similarities and differences across mammalian species indicates a potential phylogenetic relationship between the Soricidae (shrews) and the microchiropterans.
authors.affiliation: School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, 7 York Road, Parktown, 2193 Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: Tanya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Calvey
authors.affiliation: School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, 7 York Road, Parktown, 2193 Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Patzke
authors.affiliation: South African Research Chair of Mammal Behavioural Ecology and Physiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa; KSU Mammals Research Chair, Department of Zoology, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Nigel C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Bennett
authors.affiliation: Faculté des Sciences, University of Kisangani, B.P 1232 Kisangani, Congo.
authors.forename: Kaswera-Kyamakya
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Consolate
authors.affiliation: Department of African Zoology, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Leuvensesteenweg 13, B-3080 Tervuren, Belgium; Laboratory of Histology and Neuropathology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1070 Brussels, Belgium; Department of Anthropology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA.
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gilissen
authors.affiliation: KSU Mammals Research Chair, Department of Zoology, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia; Saudi Wildlife Authority, Riyadh 11575, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Abdulaziz N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Alagaili
authors.affiliation: KSU Mammals Research Chair, Department of Zoology, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Osama B
authors.initials: OB
authors.lastname: Mohammed
authors.affiliation: Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, St. Lucia 4072, Australia.
authors.forename: John D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Pettigrew
authors.affiliation: School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, 7 York Road, Parktown, 2193 Johannesburg, South Africa; KSU Mammals Research Chair, Department of Zoology, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia. Electronic address: Paul.Manger@wits.ac.za.
authors.forename: Paul R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Manger
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000378:metabolism; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism; D003391:Cranial Nerves / Q000378:metabolism; D006364:Hedgehogs / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D000068797:Orexins / Q000378:metabolism; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism; D012788:Shrews / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D013045:Species Specificity; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000068797:Orexins; D012701:Serotonin; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase
keywords: Chiroptera; Choline acetyltransferase; Evolution; Hypocretin; Insectivora; Mammal; Neural systems; Orexin; Serotonin; Tyrosine hydroxylase