Heike Münzberg, Jaclyn Williams, David H Burk, Angela Kim, Sangho Yu, Christopher D Morrison, Bradford B Lowell, Hans-Rudolf Berthoud, Winfried L Neuhuber
{"title":"Brunner's Glands in the Duodenal Bulb Are Indirectly Innervated by Vagal Preganglionics That Connect With Cholinergic Enteric Neurons in the Myenteric Plexus.","authors":"Heike Münzberg, Jaclyn Williams, David H Burk, Angela Kim, Sangho Yu, Christopher D Morrison, Bradford B Lowell, Hans-Rudolf Berthoud, Winfried L Neuhuber","doi":"10.1002/cne.70164","DOIUrl":"10.1002/cne.70164","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Canonical parasympathetic innervation of tissues/organs is accomplished by two in-series neurons, often called pre- and postganglionic neurons. Such two-neuron in-series organization has recently been challenged by claiming direct vagal preganglionic innervation of Brunner's glands (BGs) in the duodenal bulb, as well as the spleen, and the liver. To resolve this controversial issue, we labeled vagal preganglionic neurons in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV) by injecting a Cre-dependent AAV construct to express tdTomato in ChAT-IRES-Cre transgenic mice and analyzed the distribution of labeled fibers in the duodenal bulb. We found that labeled vagal preganglionic fibers terminate exclusively in myenteric ganglia but not in or between BGs. This lack of direct BG innervation is unlikely to result from incomplete labeling of vagal preganglionic neurons, as the entire extent of the DMV was well covered by bilateral injections, and there were abundant vagal axons and terminals in the gastric myenteric plexus and other vagal targets. BGs were innervated by a consistent supply of cholinergic (VAChT-positive) and sparsely by adrenergic (TH-positive) nerve fibers. There was also a moderate supply of vagal afferents anterogradely traced from the nodose ganglia and CGRP-positive fibers. We conclude that BGs in the mouse are not directly innervated by vagal preganglionic neurons of DMV origin but receive cholinergic innervation from myenteric plexus neurons serving as postganglionic neurons. Further experiments will be necessary to clarify the issue for other vagal targets.</p>","PeriodicalId":15552,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Comparative Neurology","volume":"534 5","pages":"e70164"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13220125/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147874287","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":"Dopamine D1Aa and D2a Receptor Expression in the Auditory System of a Vocal Fish.","authors":"Kobi Kobi, Paul M Forlano","doi":"10.1002/cne.70166","DOIUrl":"10.1002/cne.70166","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Although dopamine receptors (DARs) have been identified in various vertebrate neural circuits, their expression in the central auditory system remains poorly characterized. Reproductive-state changes in catecholamine innervation of central auditory nuclei in the plainfin midshipman fish (Porichthys notatus) highlight a unique, ethologically relevant role for catecholamines, including dopamine, in modulating auditory function to enhance reproductive success. Dopamine's effects on these systems are mediated via its receptors; thus, the goal of the present study is to characterize excitatory dopamine D1Aa and inhibitory dopamine D2a receptor transcript expression throughout the central auditory system of the plainfin midshipman. Fluorescence in situ hybridization-immunohistochemistry (FISH-IHC) revealed robust D1Aa and D2a expression in forebrain auditory-recipient centers that receive catecholaminergic input: postcommissural and ventral nuclei of the ventral telencephalon, anterior tuberal nucleus, central posterior nucleus of the thalamus, and parvocellular preoptic nuclei. Large dopamine neurons in the periventricular posterior tuberculum, which are, in part, responsible for the reproductive-state changes in central and peripheral catecholamine innervation only express D2a, whereas large noradrenergic neurons in the locus coeruleus express both D1Aa and D2a. The midbrain torus semicircularis, periaqueductal gray, hindbrain octavolateralis efferent nucleus, and descending/secondary octaval nuclei also express both receptor types. D2a expression predominates over D1Aa, and we identify a subpopulation of cells throughout the auditory system that co-express both receptors. The robust distribution of inhibitory and excitatory DAR expression in the central auditory system, coupled with co-expression in a subset of cells, provides strong neuroanatomical evidence of dopamine's complex role in modulating auditory sensitivity and processing.</p>","PeriodicalId":15552,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Comparative Neurology","volume":"534 5","pages":"e70166"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13373636/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148031307","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}
Toshiki Arimura, Mana Nishibori, Yusuke K Kawai, Yuki Hirano, Ikunori Naito, Jumpei Tomiyasu, Tatsuki Shimamoto, Daisuke Kondoh
{"title":"Arboreal Squirrels Have a Segregated Vomeronasal System With a Regressed Type 2 Receptor (V2R)-Domain.","authors":"Toshiki Arimura, Mana Nishibori, Yusuke K Kawai, Yuki Hirano, Ikunori Naito, Jumpei Tomiyasu, Tatsuki Shimamoto, Daisuke Kondoh","doi":"10.1002/cne.70171","DOIUrl":"10.1002/cne.70171","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The vomeronasal system (VNS) in most mammals detects species-specific chemicals. Vomeronasal type 1 (V1R) and type 2 (V2R) receptors in the VNS, respectively, couple with G protein α subunits i2 (Gαi2) and o (Gαo). Most artiodactyls and carnivores have neurons that express only V1R/Gαi2 in the peripheral vomeronasal organ and project axons to the entire accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) (uniform type). In contrast, most rodents have V1R/Gαi2 and V2R/Gαo-neurons that respectively project to the rostral and caudal parts of the AOB (segregated type). However, the California ground squirrel (Otospermophilus beecheyi; family Sciuridae, subfamily Xerinae) has a V1R/Gαi2 AOB, which is the only exception to the segregated profiles of rodents to date. Here, we immunohistochemically analyzed the AOBs of four Pallas's (Callosciurus erythraeus; subfamily Callosciurinae) and three Eurasian red (Sciurus vulgaris; subfamily Sciurinae) squirrels using anti-Gαi2 and anti-Gαo antibodies. The AOBs of both arboreal species consisted of the vomeronasal nerve (VNL), glomerular (GL), external cellular (ECL), and internal cellular (ICL) layers. We found both Gαi2- and Gαo-positive regions in the VNL and GL in all squirrels examined in this study, which suggested that they can detect nonvolatile cues as pheromones or kairomones via V2R like rodents in general. However, the V1R/Gαi2 and V2R/Gαo domains were not equivalent in the AOBs of these squirrels, as a large area corresponded to the V1R/Gαi2-domain. Considering these results together with findings from ground squirrels, V2R expression in the VNS seems to be reduced in the family Sciuridae among rodents.</p>","PeriodicalId":15552,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Comparative Neurology","volume":"534 5","pages":"e70171"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13373616/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148031328","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":"Multiple Longitudinal Tracts in the Cephalopod Arm Sensorimotor System.","authors":"Cassady S Olson, Clifton W Ragsdale","doi":"10.1002/cne.70165","DOIUrl":"10.1002/cne.70165","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Octopuses have an incredibly rich behavioral repertoire, exhibiting complex motor acts that require the coordination of eight highly flexible arms, each with hundreds of suckers. These movements are controlled by an axial nerve cord (ANC), analogous to the spinal cord, situated in the center of the arm musculature. The ANC has a cell body layer which forms a U-shape around its neuropil and is capped aborally, or opposite the sucker, by the cerebrobrachial tract (CBT), a massive fiber bundle known to interconnect the arms and the brain. In vertebrate spinal cords, in addition to the major fiber tracts that interconnect the brain and spinal cord, there are spinospinal connectives that coordinate complex motor behaviors across the appendages. Here, we asked with tract-tracing and immunohistochemistry, whether an octopus arm's ANC might also have intrinsic longitudinal connections for coordinated arm and sucker movements. We found that the ANC neuropil is enriched in longitudinal fibers. These fibers form distinct tracts, two within the oral (sucker-side) neuropil and two in the aboral (brachial-side) neuropil. In addition, the CBT itself demonstrates four major subtracts, and DiI labeling and dextran tracing suggest that (1) the CBT also carries arm-intrinsic longitudinal connections and (2) the CBT and the neuropil tracts can be subcategorized into those that primarily connect with the sucker and those that serve the arm musculature. We also examined the organization of fiber tracts in the ANC of the arms and tentacles of two species of squid, establishing that an aboral, extra-neuropil tract is a shared feature across all cephalopod species studied. In addition, the squids have an oral longitudinal tract, though its positioning and size varied with species and appendage. In sum, these findings describe the neural substrate for coordinating motor behaviors along the length of a cephalopod appendage.</p>","PeriodicalId":15552,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Comparative Neurology","volume":"534 5","pages":"e70165"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13145324/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147838777","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}