title: Reconsidering Tonotopic Maps in the Auditory Cortex and Lemniscal Auditory Thalamus in Mice.
abstract: The auditory thalamus and auditory cortex (AC) are pivotal structures in the central auditory system. However, the thalamocortical mechanisms of processing sounds are largely unknown. Investigation of this process benefits greatly from the use of mice because the mouse is a powerful animal model in which various experimental techniques, especially genetic tools, can be applied. However, the use of mice has been limited in auditory research, and thus even basic anatomical knowledge of the mouse central auditory system has not been sufficiently collected. Recently, optical imaging combined with morphological analyses has enabled the elucidation of detailed anatomical properties of the mouse auditory system. These techniques have uncovered fine AC maps with multiple frequency-organized regions, each of which receives point-to-point thalamocortical projections from different origins inside the lemniscal auditory thalamus, the ventral division of the medial geniculate body (MGv). This precise anatomy now provides a platform for physiological research. In this mini review article, we summarize these recent achievements that will facilitate physiological investigations in the mouse auditory system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurophysiology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University Niigata, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tsukano
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Graduate School of Medicine and Dental Sciences, Niigata University Niigata, Japan.
authors.forename: Masao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Horie
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurophysiology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University Niigata, Japan.
authors.forename: Shinpei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ohga
authors.affiliation: Division of Otolaryngology, Graduate School of Medicine and Dental Sciences, Niigata University Niigata, Japan.
authors.forename: Kuniyuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.affiliation: Division of Otolaryngology, Graduate School of Medicine and Dental Sciences, Niigata University Niigata, Japan.
authors.forename: Yamato
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kubota
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurophysiology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University Niigata, Japan.
authors.forename: Ryuichi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hishida
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Graduate School of Medicine and Dental Sciences, Niigata University Niigata, Japan.
authors.forename: Hirohide
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takebayashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurophysiology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University Niigata, Japan.
authors.forename: Katsuei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shibuki
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001303:Auditory Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology; D005829:Geniculate Bodies / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology
keywords: auditory cortex; brain map; medial geniculate body; mice; multiple compartments; thalamocortical pathway; tonotopy; topology