Distributions of parvalbumin, calbindin-D28k, and calretinin in the cerebrum of Chinese tree shrews ( Tupaia belangeri chinensis): A high-resolution neuroanatomical resource.

Abstract

The Chinese tree shrew (Tupaia belangeri chinensis) has gained prominence as a model organism due to its phylogenetic proximity to primates, offering distinct advantages over traditional rodent models in biomedical research. However, the neuroanatomy of this species remains insufficiently defined, limiting its utility in neurophysiological and neuropathological studies. In this study, immunofluorescence microscopy was employed to comprehensively map the distribution of three calcium-binding proteins, parvalbumin, calbindin D-28k, and calretinin, across the tree shrew cerebrum. Serial brain sections in sagittal, coronal, and horizontal planes from 12 individuals generated a dataset of 3 638 cellular-resolution images. This dataset, accessible via Science Data Bank (https://doi.org/10.57760/sciencedb.23471), provides detailed region- and laminar-selective distributions of calcium-binding proteins valuable for the cyto- and chemoarchitectural characterization of the tree shrew cerebrum. This resource will not only advance our understanding of brain organization and facilitate basic and translational neuroscience research in tree shrews but also enhance comparative and evolutionary analyses across species.