Abstract
Choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) immunohistochemistry was used to map the cholinergic neurons in the forebrain of Pseudemys turtles. Cell bodies with ChAT-like immunoreactivity were seen in the septum, the nucleus of the diagonal band, and embedded within the medial and lateral forebrain bundles. The region of the medial and lateral forebrain bundles contained the greatest concentration of ChAT-positive neurons. Virtually no ChAT-like immunoreactivity was seen in the areas composing the reptilian homologue of the mammalian striatum. It is suggested that the turtle basal forebrain cholinergic neurons may represent the evolutionary precursors to the mammalian cholinergic neurons of the basal forebrain and even the striatum.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 103-108 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Brain research |
Volume | 323 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Dec 3 1984 |
Funding
We wish to thank Leah Christie, Terry Martin, Richard Plourde and Marc Peloquin for secretarial and technical assistance. This research was supported in part by grants from the Essel Foundation, the McKnight Foundation, NIH Grants NS-092tl, NS-07011, NS-17611, HD-04583, T32EY07042-05S1, the Javits Neuroscience Investigator Award NS-20285 (M.M.M.) and the ADRDA Faculty Schohtr Award (E.J.M.).
Keywords
- basal forebrain
- choline acetyltransferase
- cholinergic
- immunohistochemistry
- turtle
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Clinical Neurology
- Molecular Biology
- General Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology