Dendritic and Spine Heterogeneity of von Economo Neurons in the Human Cingulate Cortex
The human cingulate cortex (CC), included in the paralimbic cortex, participates in emotion, visceral responses, attention, cognition, and social behaviors. The CC has spindle-shaped/fusiform cell body neurons in its layer V, the von Economo neurons (VENs). VENs have further developed in primates, a...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2020-07-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Synaptic Neuroscience |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnsyn.2020.00025/full |
| _version_ | 1818292813487407104 |
|---|---|
| author | Nivaldo D. Correa-Júnior Josué Renner Francisco Fuentealba-Villarroel Arlete Hilbig Alberto A. Rasia-Filho Alberto A. Rasia-Filho Alberto A. Rasia-Filho |
| author_facet | Nivaldo D. Correa-Júnior Josué Renner Francisco Fuentealba-Villarroel Arlete Hilbig Alberto A. Rasia-Filho Alberto A. Rasia-Filho Alberto A. Rasia-Filho |
| author_sort | Nivaldo D. Correa-Júnior |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The human cingulate cortex (CC), included in the paralimbic cortex, participates in emotion, visceral responses, attention, cognition, and social behaviors. The CC has spindle-shaped/fusiform cell body neurons in its layer V, the von Economo neurons (VENs). VENs have further developed in primates, and the characterization of human VENs can benefit from the detailed descriptions of the shape of dendrites and spines. Here, we advance this issue and studied VENs in the anterior and midcingulate cortex from four neurologically normal adult subjects. We used the thionin technique and the adapted “single-section” Golgi method for light microscopy. Three-dimensional (3D) reconstructions were carried out for the visualization of Golgi-impregnated VENs’ cell body, ascending and descending dendrites, and collateral branches. We also looked for the presence, density, and shape of spines from proximal to distal dendrites. These neurons have a similar aspect for the soma, but features of spiny dendrites evidenced a morphological heterogeneity of CC VENs. Only for the description of this continuum of shapes, we labeled the most common feature as VEN 1, which has main dendritic shafts but few branches and sparse spines. VEN 2 shows an intermediate aspect, whereas VEN 3 displays the most profuse dendritic ramification and more spines with varied shapes from proximal to distal branches. Morphometric data exemplify the dendritic features of these cells. The heterogeneity of the dendritic architecture and spines suggests additional functional implications for the synaptic and information processing in VENs in integrated networks of normal and, possibly, neurological/psychiatric conditions involving the human CC. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T03:05:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d918846df49c4fddac6367e959040ab7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1663-3563 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T03:05:55Z |
| publishDate | 2020-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Synaptic Neuroscience |
| spelling | doaj.art-d918846df49c4fddac6367e959040ab72022-12-22T00:01:43ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Synaptic Neuroscience1663-35632020-07-011210.3389/fnsyn.2020.00025540124Dendritic and Spine Heterogeneity of von Economo Neurons in the Human Cingulate CortexNivaldo D. Correa-Júnior0Josué Renner1Francisco Fuentealba-Villarroel2Arlete Hilbig3Alberto A. Rasia-Filho4Alberto A. Rasia-Filho5Alberto A. Rasia-Filho6Graduate Program in Biosciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre, BrazilLaboratory of Morphology and Physiology, Department of Basic Sciences/Physiology, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, BrazilGraduate Program in Neuroscience, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, BrazilDepartment of Medical Clinics/Neurology, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, BrazilGraduate Program in Biosciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre, BrazilLaboratory of Morphology and Physiology, Department of Basic Sciences/Physiology, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, BrazilGraduate Program in Neuroscience, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, BrazilThe human cingulate cortex (CC), included in the paralimbic cortex, participates in emotion, visceral responses, attention, cognition, and social behaviors. The CC has spindle-shaped/fusiform cell body neurons in its layer V, the von Economo neurons (VENs). VENs have further developed in primates, and the characterization of human VENs can benefit from the detailed descriptions of the shape of dendrites and spines. Here, we advance this issue and studied VENs in the anterior and midcingulate cortex from four neurologically normal adult subjects. We used the thionin technique and the adapted “single-section” Golgi method for light microscopy. Three-dimensional (3D) reconstructions were carried out for the visualization of Golgi-impregnated VENs’ cell body, ascending and descending dendrites, and collateral branches. We also looked for the presence, density, and shape of spines from proximal to distal dendrites. These neurons have a similar aspect for the soma, but features of spiny dendrites evidenced a morphological heterogeneity of CC VENs. Only for the description of this continuum of shapes, we labeled the most common feature as VEN 1, which has main dendritic shafts but few branches and sparse spines. VEN 2 shows an intermediate aspect, whereas VEN 3 displays the most profuse dendritic ramification and more spines with varied shapes from proximal to distal branches. Morphometric data exemplify the dendritic features of these cells. The heterogeneity of the dendritic architecture and spines suggests additional functional implications for the synaptic and information processing in VENs in integrated networks of normal and, possibly, neurological/psychiatric conditions involving the human CC.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnsyn.2020.00025/fulldendritic spinesGolgi methodhuman brain/cytologyneocortical layer Vmodified pyramidal neuronsparalimbic cortex |
| spellingShingle | Nivaldo D. Correa-Júnior Josué Renner Francisco Fuentealba-Villarroel Arlete Hilbig Alberto A. Rasia-Filho Alberto A. Rasia-Filho Alberto A. Rasia-Filho Dendritic and Spine Heterogeneity of von Economo Neurons in the Human Cingulate Cortex Frontiers in Synaptic Neuroscience dendritic spines Golgi method human brain/cytology neocortical layer V modified pyramidal neurons paralimbic cortex |
| title | Dendritic and Spine Heterogeneity of von Economo Neurons in the Human Cingulate Cortex |
| title_full | Dendritic and Spine Heterogeneity of von Economo Neurons in the Human Cingulate Cortex |
| title_fullStr | Dendritic and Spine Heterogeneity of von Economo Neurons in the Human Cingulate Cortex |
| title_full_unstemmed | Dendritic and Spine Heterogeneity of von Economo Neurons in the Human Cingulate Cortex |
| title_short | Dendritic and Spine Heterogeneity of von Economo Neurons in the Human Cingulate Cortex |
| title_sort | dendritic and spine heterogeneity of von economo neurons in the human cingulate cortex |
| topic | dendritic spines Golgi method human brain/cytology neocortical layer V modified pyramidal neurons paralimbic cortex |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnsyn.2020.00025/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT nivaldodcorreajunior dendriticandspineheterogeneityofvoneconomoneuronsinthehumancingulatecortex AT josuerenner dendriticandspineheterogeneityofvoneconomoneuronsinthehumancingulatecortex AT franciscofuentealbavillarroel dendriticandspineheterogeneityofvoneconomoneuronsinthehumancingulatecortex AT arletehilbig dendriticandspineheterogeneityofvoneconomoneuronsinthehumancingulatecortex AT albertoarasiafilho dendriticandspineheterogeneityofvoneconomoneuronsinthehumancingulatecortex AT albertoarasiafilho dendriticandspineheterogeneityofvoneconomoneuronsinthehumancingulatecortex AT albertoarasiafilho dendriticandspineheterogeneityofvoneconomoneuronsinthehumancingulatecortex |