{"title":"Harvey's Story","authors":"Anton Reiner","doi":"10.1002/cne.25685","DOIUrl":"10.1002/cne.25685","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Harvey Jules Karten passed away on July 15, 2024. With his passing, the world lost a remarkable and energetic man who had made major contributions to neuroscience, in particular, resetting our understanding of the evolution of the forebrain and the evolution of intelligence. He left behind a legion of loyal colleagues with whom he had collaborated and shared ideas, students he had inspired and trained, and non-neuroscientist friends he had made in the passionate pursuit of his hobbies—sailing, skiing, and hiking.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":15552,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Comparative Neurology","volume":"532 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-11-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142621806","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Luiz M. Oliveira, Alyssa Huff, Aguan Wei, Nicole C. Miranda, Ginny Wu, Xiangmin Xu, Jan-Marino Ramirez
{"title":"Afferent and Efferent Connections of the Postinspiratory Complex (PiCo) Revealed by AAV and Monosynaptic Rabies Viral Tracing","authors":"Luiz M. Oliveira, Alyssa Huff, Aguan Wei, Nicole C. Miranda, Ginny Wu, Xiangmin Xu, Jan-Marino Ramirez","doi":"10.1002/cne.25683","DOIUrl":"10.1002/cne.25683","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The control of the respiratory rhythm and airway motor activity is essential for life. Accumulating evidence indicates that the postinspiratory complex (PiCo) is crucial for generating behaviors that occur during the postinspiratory phase, including expiratory laryngeal activity and swallowing. Located in the ventromedial medulla, PiCo is defined by neurons co-expressing two neurotransmitter markers (ChAT and Vglut2/Slc17a6). Here, we mapped the input–output connections of these neurons using viral tracers and intersectional viral-genetic tools. PiCo neurons were specifically targeted by focal injection of a doubly conditional Cre- and FlpO-dependent AAV8 viral marker (AAV8-Con/Fon-TVA-mCherry) into the left PiCo of adult Chat<sup>Cre/wt</sup>: Vglut2<sup>FlpO/wt</sup> mice, for anterograde axonal tracing. These experiments revealed projections to various brain regions, including the Cu, nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS), Amb, X, XII, Sp5, RMg, intermediate reticular nucleus (IRt), lateral reticular nucleus (LRt), pre-Bötzinger complex (preBötC), contralateral PiCo, laterodorsal tegmental nucleus (LDTg), pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus (PPTg), periaqueductal gray matter (PAG), Kölliker–Fuse (KF), PB, and external cortex of the inferior colliculus (ECIC). A rabies virus (RV) retrograde transsynaptic approach was taken with EnvA-pseudotyped G-deleted (RV-SAD-G-GFP) to similarly target PiCo neurons in Chat<sup>Cre/wt</sup>: Vglut2<sup>FlpO/wt</sup> mice, following prior injections of helper AAVs (a mixture of AAV-Ef1a-Con/Fon oG and viral vector AAV8-Con/Fon-TVA-mCherry). This combined approach revealed prominent synaptic inputs to PiCo neurons from NTS, IRt, and A1/C1. Although PiCo neurons project axons to the contralateral PiCo area, this approach did not detect direct contralateral connections. We suggest that PiCo serves as a critical integration site, projecting and receiving neuronal connections implicated in breathing, arousal, swallowing, and autonomic regulation.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":15552,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Comparative Neurology","volume":"532 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-11-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142568202","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Structure and Topography of Facial Branchiomotor Neuron Dendrites in Larval Zebrafish (Danio rerio)","authors":"Kimberly L. McArthur, Winnie J. Ho","doi":"10.1002/cne.25682","DOIUrl":"10.1002/cne.25682","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Motor circuits in the vertebrate hindbrain need to become functional early in development. What are the fundamental mechanisms that establish early synaptic inputs to motor neurons? Previous evidence is consistent with the hypothesis that motor neuron dendrite positioning serves a causal role in early spinal motor circuit development, with initial connectivity determined by the overlap between premotor axons and motor neuron dendrites (perhaps without the need for molecular recognition). Does motor neuron dendrite topography serve a similar role in the hindbrain? In the current study, we provide the first quantitative analysis of the dendrites of facial branchiomotor neurons (FBMNs) in larval zebrafish. We previously demonstrated that FBMNs exhibit functional topography along the dorsoventral axis, with the most ventral cell bodies most likely to exhibit early rhythmic activity—suggesting that FBMNs with ventral cell bodies are most likely to receive inputs from premotor neurons carrying rhythmic respiratory signals. We hypothesized that this functional topography can be explained by differences in dendrite positioning, giving ventral FBMNs preferential access to premotor axons carrying rhythmic signals. If this hypothesis is true, we predicted that FBMN cell body position would be correlated with dendrite position along the dorsoventral axis. To test this prediction, we used single-cell labeling to trace the dendritic arbors of FBMNs in larval zebrafish at 5-days post-fertilization (dpf). FBMN dendrites varied in complexity, and this variation could not be attributed to differences in the relative age of neurons. Most dendrites grew caudally, laterally, and ventrally from the cell body—though FBMN dendrites could extend their dendrites dorsally. Across our sample, FBMN cell body position correlated with dendrite position along the dorsoventral axis, consistent with our hypothesis that differences in dendrite positioning serve as the substrate for differences in activity patterns across neurons. Future studies will build on this foundational data, testing additional predictions of the central hypothesis—to further investigate the mechanisms of early motor circuit development.</p>","PeriodicalId":15552,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Comparative Neurology","volume":"532 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-11-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/cne.25682","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142576241","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Veronika Kulik, Melissa K. Edler, Mary Ann Raghanti, Aminu Imam, Chet C. Sherwood
{"title":"Amyloid-Beta, Tau, and Microglial Activation in Aged Felid Brains","authors":"Veronika Kulik, Melissa K. Edler, Mary Ann Raghanti, Aminu Imam, Chet C. Sherwood","doi":"10.1002/cne.25679","DOIUrl":"10.1002/cne.25679","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Alzheimer's disease (AD) and its associated pathology have been primarily identified in humans, who have relatively large brains and long lifespans. To expand what is known about aging and neurodegeneration across mammalian species, we characterized amyloid-beta (Aβ) and tau lesions in five species of aged felids (<i>n</i> = 9; cheetah, clouded leopard, African lion, serval, Siberian tiger). We performed immunohistochemistry to detect Aβ40 and Aβ42 in plaques and vessels and hyperphosphorylated tau in the temporal lobe gyrus sylvius and in the CA1 and CA3 subfields of the hippocampus. We also quantified the densities and morphological types of microglia expressing IBA1. We found that diffuse Aβ42 plaques, but not dense-core plaques, were present more frequently in the temporal cortex and tended to be more common than Aβ40 plaques across species. Conversely, vascular Aβ was labeled more consistently with Aβ40 for each species on average. Although all individuals showed some degree of Aβ40 and/or Aβ42 immunoreactivity, only the cheetahs and clouded leopards exhibited intraneuronal hyperphosphorylated tau (i.e., pretangles), which was more common in the hippocampus. Reactive, intermediate microglia were significantly associated with total Aβ40 vessel area and pretangle load in the hippocampus. This study demonstrates the co-occurrence of Aβ and tau pathology in two felid species, cheetahs and clouded leopards. Overall, these results provide an initial view of the manifestation of Aβ and tau pathology in aged, large-brained felids, which can be compared with markers of neurodegeneration across different taxa, including domestic cats, nonhuman primates, and humans.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":15552,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Comparative Neurology","volume":"532 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142545796","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Cerebellar Molecular Signatures in Non-Human Primates","authors":"Tatsuya Yamamoto, Yuko Yoshida, Takayuki Ose, Yumi Murata, Takuya Hayashi, Noriyuki Higo","doi":"10.1002/cne.25678","DOIUrl":"10.1002/cne.25678","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Cerebellar molecular signatures in primates remain largely unexplored. Here, we investigated the immunoreactivity of neuroplasticity-related molecular markers, including aldolase C (Aldoc), phospholipase C beta 3 (PLCB3), and phospholipase C beta 4 (PLCB4) in the cerebellar cortex and associated nuclei of rhesus macaque monkeys (<i>Macaca mulatta</i>). Our main findings are as follows: First, the cerebellar vermis in macaques exhibited striped compartmentalization for all markers, with the striped expression boundary of PLCB3 being less distinct than those of Aldoc and PLCB4. Second, the striped pattern was less pronounced in the cerebellar hemisphere compared to the vermis, with signals in the hemisphere being predominantly intense throughout. Third, distinct zonal patterns and elevated signals for Aldoc and PLCB3 were observed in the cerebellar deep nuclei. Specifically, the fastigial nucleus displayed intense Aldoc signals in both caudal and rostral regions, while the dentate nucleus displayed strong Aldoc signals in both ventral and dorsal regions. Compared to previous rodent studies, the macaque cerebellum demonstrated a higher proportion of intense signal areas and distinct compartmentalization patterns in both cortical and deep nuclei. These findings offer crucial insights into the unique molecular organization of the primate cerebellum, enhancing our understanding of the advanced neuroplasticity, cognitive, and motor capabilities in primates.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":15552,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Comparative Neurology","volume":"532 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142501605","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yuya Ohhara, Mikkal Blick, Donghyun Park, Sung-Eun Yoon, Young-Joon Kim, Michael J. Pankratz, Michael B. O'Connor, Naoki Yamanaka
{"title":"A Neuropeptide Signaling Network That Regulates Developmental Timing and Systemic Growth in Drosophila","authors":"Yuya Ohhara, Mikkal Blick, Donghyun Park, Sung-Eun Yoon, Young-Joon Kim, Michael J. Pankratz, Michael B. O'Connor, Naoki Yamanaka","doi":"10.1002/cne.25677","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cne.25677","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Animals sense chemical cues such as nutritious and noxious stimuli through the chemosensory system and adapt their behavior, physiology, and developmental schedule to the environment. In the <i>Drosophila</i> central nervous system, chemosensory interneurons that produce neuropeptides called Hugin (Hug) peptides receive signals from gustatory receptor neurons and regulate feeding behavior. Because Hug neurons project their axons to the higher brain region within the protocerebrum where dendrites of multiple neurons producing developmentally important neuropeptides are extended, it has been postulated that Hug neurons regulate development through the neuroendocrine system. In this study, we show that Hug neurons interact with a subset of protocerebrum neurons that produce prothoracicotropic hormone (PTTH) and regulate the onset of metamorphosis and systemic growth. Loss of the <i>hug</i> gene and silencing of Hug neurons caused a delay in larval-to-prepupal transition and an increase in final body size. Furthermore, deletion of Hug receptor-encoding genes also caused developmental delay and body size increase, and the phenotype was restored by expressing Hug receptors in PTTH-producing neurons. These results indicate that Hug neurons regulate developmental timing and body size via PTTH-producing neurons. This study provides a basis for understanding how chemosensation is converted into neuroendocrine signaling to control insect growth and development.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":15552,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Comparative Neurology","volume":"532 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142449183","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Chelsea M. Haakenson, Jacques Balthazart, Jonathan W. VanRyzin, Ashley E. Marquardt, Sydney E. Ashton, Margaret M. McCarthy, Gregory F. Ball
{"title":"Neurochemical Characterization of Dopaminoceptive Cells in Song Control Nuclei of Canaries and Their Activation During Song Production: A Multiplex Fluorescent In Situ Hybridization Study","authors":"Chelsea M. Haakenson, Jacques Balthazart, Jonathan W. VanRyzin, Ashley E. Marquardt, Sydney E. Ashton, Margaret M. McCarthy, Gregory F. Ball","doi":"10.1002/cne.25675","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cne.25675","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Highly sensitive in situ hybridization procedures (RNAScope) were used to quantify the expression of three dopamine receptors (Drd1, Drd2, and Drd3) in two song control nuclei (HVC and the Area X of the basal ganglia) that are known to receive dopaminergic inputs and in the periaqueductal gray (PAG) of male and female canaries. Both sexes were treated with testosterone to ensure they would sing actively. We also determined the excitatory versus inhibitory phenotype of the cells expressing these receptors as well as their activation following a period of song production. The three receptor types were identified in each brain area, with the exception of Drd3 in Area X. The density of cells expressing each receptor varied as a function of receptor type and brain area. Surprisingly few sex differences were detected; they do not seem to explain the sex differences in testosterone-induced song. Overall, the density of Drd-positive cells was much lower in PAG than in the two song control nuclei. In HVC, the majority of cells expressing the three receptor subtypes were VGlut2-positive, whereas colocalization with Vglut2 occurred in few cells in Area X and in an intermediate proportion of cells in PAG. The number of inhibitory cells expressing dopamine receptors was limited. Most dopaminoceptive cells in Area X did not express either excitatory or inhibitory markers. Finally, cellular activation during singing behavior, as measured by the expression of Egr1, was observed in cells expressing each of the three dopamine receptor subtypes, except Drd3 in the PAG.</p>","PeriodicalId":15552,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Comparative Neurology","volume":"532 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/cne.25675","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142429832","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Structural Basis for Histaminergic Regulation of Neural Circuits in the Mouse Olfactory Bulb","authors":"Yukari Minami-Ogawa, Emi Kiyokage, Haruyo Yamanishi, Sawa Horie, Satoshi Ichikawa, Kazunori Toida","doi":"10.1002/cne.25671","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cne.25671","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Odor information is modulated by centrifugal inputs from other brain regions to the olfactory bulb (OB). Neurons containing monoamines, such as serotonin, acetylcholine, and noradrenaline, are well known as centrifugal inputs; however, the role of histamine, which is also present in the OB, is not well understood. In this study, we examined the histaminergic neurons projecting from the hypothalamus to the OB. We used an antibody against histidine decarboxylase (HDC), a synthesizing enzyme of histamine, to identify histaminergic neurons and assess their localization within the OB and the ultrastructure of their fibers and synapses using multiple immunostaining laser microscopy, ultra-high voltage electron microscopy (EM), and EM to confirm their relationships with other neurons. To further identify the origin nucleus of the histaminergic neurons projecting to the OB, we injected the retrograde tracer FluoroGold and analyzed the pathway to the OB anterogradely. HDC-immunoreactive (-ir) fibers were abundant in the olfactory nerve (ON) layer compared to other monoamines. HDC-ir neurons received asymmetrical synapses from ONs and formed synapses containing pleomorphic vesicles with variable postsynaptic densities to non-ON elements, thus forming serial synapses. We also confirmed that histaminergic neurons project from the rostral ventral tuberomammillary nucleus to the granule cell layer of the OB and, for the first time, successfully visualized their axons from the hypothalamus to the OB. These findings indicate that histamine may regulate odor discrimination in the OB, suggesting a regulatory relationship between hypothalamic function and olfaction. We thus elucidate morphological mechanisms with tuberomammillary nucleus–derived histaminergic neurons involved in olfactory information.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":15552,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Comparative Neurology","volume":"532 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142429833","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Fish That Fish for Fish—A Peculiar Location of “Fishing Motoneurons” in the Striated Frogfish Antennarius striatus","authors":"Hanako Hagio, Hirotaka Nishino, Kenta Miyake, Nene Sato, Kei Sawada, Tomoya Nakayama, Naoyuki Yamamoto","doi":"10.1002/cne.25674","DOIUrl":"10.1002/cne.25674","url":null,"abstract":"<p>In lophiform teleosts, the first dorsal fin has evolved as a specialized structure called the “illicium” equipped with the esca, which is a modified skin flap used to attract small fish for predation. The motor control system of the illicium, however, remained unknown. The present study investigated the innervation of muscles for the illicium and morphology of motoneurons innervating them in the striated frogfish <i>Antennarius striatus</i>. We found that the dorsal ramus of occipital nerve innervates the muscles. Motoneurons for the illicium are present in the dorsolateral zone of ventral horn at the medullo-spinal boundary level, forming a cluster somewhat distinct from other motoneurons of the ventral horn. Motoneurons for the second to fourth dorsal fins and pectoral fin were located in the ventrolateral and ventromedial zones of ventral horn, respectively, whereas those of the dorsal trunk muscle in the dorsomedial zone of ventral horn. Motoneurons for the first dorsal spine of white-spotted pygmy filefish were also investigated for species comparison and were found to locate in the ventrolateral zone of ventral horn, similarly to the motoneurons for the second to fourth dorsal fins of the frogfish. These results suggest that motoneurons for the illicium have become segregated from other motoneurons to be situated in an unusual dorsal position for a motoneuron pool of a dorsal fin, in concert with the evolution of specialized “fishing behavior” performed by the illicium.</p>","PeriodicalId":15552,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Comparative Neurology","volume":"532 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/cne.25674","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142390943","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Omprakash Singh, Sumela Basu, Abhinav Srivastava, Dipti R. Pradhan, Pallabi Dandapat, Chandramohan Bathrachalam, Praful S. Singru
{"title":"Cocaine- and Amphetamine-Regulated Transcript Peptide in the Central Nervous System of the Gecko, Hemidactylus leschenaultii: Molecular Characterization, Neuroanatomical Organization, and Regulation by Neuropeptide Y","authors":"Omprakash Singh, Sumela Basu, Abhinav Srivastava, Dipti R. Pradhan, Pallabi Dandapat, Chandramohan Bathrachalam, Praful S. Singru","doi":"10.1002/cne.25672","DOIUrl":"10.1002/cne.25672","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Neuropeptide cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) is widely expressed in the brains of teleosts, amphibians, birds, and mammals and has emerged as a conserved regulator of energy balance across these vertebrate phyla. However, as yet, there is no information on CART in the reptilian brain. We characterized the cDNA encoding CART and mapped CART-containing elements in the brain of gecko, <i>Hemidactylus leschenaultii</i> (<i>hl</i>) using a specific anti-CART antiserum. We report a 683-bp <i>hlcart</i> transcript containing a 336-bp open reading frame, which encodes a putative 111-amino acid hl-preproCART. The 89-amino acid hl-proCART generated from hl-preproCART produced two putative bioactive hl-CART-peptides. These bioactive CART-peptides were > 93% similar with those in rats/humans. Although reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) detected <i>hlcart</i>-transcript in the brain, CART-containing neurons/fibers were widely distributed in the telencephalon, diencephalon, mesencephalon, rhombencephalon, spinal cord, and retina. The mitral cells in olfactory bulb, neurons in the paraventricular, periventricular, arcuate (Arc), Edinger–Westphal, and brainstem nuclei were intensely CART-positive. In view of antagonistic roles of neuropeptide Y (NPY) and CART in energy balance in the framework of mammalian hypothalamus, we probed CART–NPY interaction in the hypothalamus of <i>H. leschenaultii</i>. Double immunofluorescence showed a dense NPY-innervation of Arc CART neurons. <i>Ex vivo</i> hypothalamic slices treated with NPY/NPY-Y<sub>1</sub>-receptor agonist significantly reduced <i>hlcart</i>-mRNA levels in the Arc-containing tissues and CART-ir in the dorsal-Arc. However, CART-ir in ventral-Arc was unaffected. NPY via Y<sub>1</sub>-receptors may regulate energy balance by inhibiting dArc CART neurons. This study on CART in a reptilian brain fills the current void in literature and underscores the conserved feature of the neuropeptide across the entire vertebrate phyla.</p>","PeriodicalId":15552,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Comparative Neurology","volume":"532 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/cne.25672","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142390942","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}