Differential distribution of calbindin D28k and parvalbumin among functionally distinctive sets of structures in the macaque brainstem

Abstract

In a study of brainstem in the cynomolgus monkey, we found that the distribution of calbindin D28K (CB) and parvalbumin (PV) is nonoverlapping among functionally distinct sets of brainstem structures. Nuclei involved in representation and regulation of the organism's internal state contain CB, whereas those involved in the representation of the external environment and the representation or execution of externally directed actions contain only PV. Moreover, our findings indicate that different nuclei known as components of the ascending reticular activating system (ARAS) contain either CB or PV or both, suggesting that this system in primates operates with both CB and PV. In line with previously reported findings, we also found that unmyelinated pathways contain only CB, whereas myelinated pathways contain PV. Distribution of CB and PV in the macaque brainstem follows a pattern comparable to, but in some instances significantly different than, the pattern previously reported in the rat. We argue that the nonoverlapping distribution of CB and PV among different structures of the brainstem might reflect underlying differences in the physiological, anatomic, and perhaps phylogenetic properties of these structures. Considering our recent findings of selective vulnerability of brainstem structures to Alzheimer's disease, the present data suggest that the majority of macaque brainstem nuclei that contain CB are vulnerable to neurofibrillary tangles in humans. By contrast, only few nuclei that contain PV exhibit pathologic changes. Some of these nuclei are affected with a high number of neuritic plaques without ever developing neurofibrillary tangles.

What is the function of the claustrum?

“…This is particularly true for the thalamus (Jones 1998) and the brainstem (Parvizi & Damasio 2003). Reynhout & Baizer (1999) localized different calcium-binding proteins to the claustral cell types and comment upon the remarkable uniformity in the types and numbers of claustral cells, with no functional segregation or structural inhomogeneity.…”

Computational modeling of spike generation in serotonergic neurons of the dorsal raphe nucleus

“…With immunocytological methods, studies have been made of the gross details of the distribution of PV, CB and CR across various structures. These include rat brain (Celio, 1990;Résibois and Rogers, 1992;Rogers and Résibois, 1992), rat hindbrain (Arai et al, 1992) and macaque brainstem (Parvizi and Damasio, 2003). There have also been studies specifically targeting the DRN of the squirrel monkey (Charara and Parent, 1998) and chinchilla Szalak, 2009, 2010).…”

Expression of calcium-binding proteins and selected neuropeptides in the human, chimpanzee, and crab-eating macaque claustrum

“…The CBPs are involved in many cellular physiological processes mediated by Ca 2+ (Miller, 1991) and these neural markers are widely expressed also in the brain of vertebrates (Jande et al, 1981; Parmentier et al, 1987; Baimbridge et al, 1992; Andressen et al, 1993; Crespo et al, 1999; Dávila et al, 2000; Díaz-Regueira and Anadón, 2000; Milán and Puelles, 2000; Castro et al, 2003; Morona and González, 2008). The immunohistochemical distribution of the CBPs is an excellent tool to highlight the relationship between function and structure most notably in the thalamus (Jones and Hendry, 1989; Rausell and Jones, 1991; Rausell et al, 1992; Cusick et al, 1993) and in the brainstem (Parvizi and Damasio, 2003). A series of recent studies focused on the expression of CBPs in the claustrum of different species (Kowianski et al, 1999; Real et al, 2003; Wojcik et al, 2004; Rahman and Baizer, 2007).…”