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Distribution of serotonin-immunoreactivity in the brain of the pigeon (Columba livia)

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Abstract

The distribution of serotonin (5-HT)-containing perikarya, fibers and terminals in the brain of the pigeon (Columba livia) was investigated, using immunohistochemical and immunofluorescence methods combined with retrograde axonal transport. Twenty-one different groups of 5-HT immunoreactive (IR) cells were identified, 2 of which were localized at the hypothalamic level (periventricular organ, infundibular recess) and 19 at the tegmental-mesencephalic and rhombencephalic levels. Ten of the cell groups were situated within the region of the midline from the isthmic to the posterior rhombencephalic level and constituted the raphe system (nucleus annularis, decussatio brachium conjunctivum, area ventralis, external border of the nucleus interpeduncularis, zona peri-nervus oculomotorius, zona perifasciculus longitudinalis medialis, zona inter-flm, nucleus linearis caudalis, nucleus raphe superior pars ventralis, nucleus raphe inferior). The 9 other cell populations belonged to the lateral group and extended from the posterior mesencephalic tegmentum to the caudal rhombencephalon [formatio reticularis mesencephali, nucleus ventrolateralis tegmenti, ectopic area (Ec) of the nucleus isthmo-opticus (NIO), nucleus subceruleus, nucleus ceruleus, nucleus reticularis pontis caudalis, nucleus vestibularis medialis, nucleus reticularis parvocellularis and nucleus reticularis magnocellularis]. Combining the retrograde axonal transport of rhodamine β-isothiocyanate (RITC) after intraocular injection and immunohistofluorescence (fluoresceine isothiocyanate: FITC/5-HT) showed the centrifugal neurons (NIO, ec) to be immunonegative. Serotonin-IR fibers and terminals were found to be very broadly distributed within the brain and were particularly prominent in several structures of the telencephalon (archistriatum pars dorsalis, nucleus taeniae, area parahippocampalis, septum), diencephalon (nuclei preopticus medianus, magnocellularis, nucleus geniculatus lateralis pars ventralis, nucleus triangularis, nucleus pretectalis), mesencephalon-rhombencephalon (superficial layers of the optic tectum, nucleus ectomamillaris, nucleus isthmo-opticus and in most of the cranial nerve nuclei). Comparing the present results with those of previous studies in birds suggests some major serotonin containing pathways in the avian brain and clarifies the possible origin of the serotonin innervation of some parts of the brain. Moreover, comparing our results in birds with those obtained in other vertebrate species shows that the organization of the serotoninergic system in many regions of the avian brain is much like that found in reptiles and mammals.

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Abbreviations

Ad :

Archistriatum pars dorsalis

alp :

area interpeduncularis

al :

ansa lenticularis

Ann :

nucleus annularis

APH :

area parahippocampalis

Av :

archistriatum pars ventralis

AVT :

area ventralis (Tsai)

bcd :

brachium conjunctivum descendens

BO :

bulbus olfactorius

ca :

commisssura anterior

CDL :

area corticoidea dorsolateralis

Cer :

cerebellum

cf :

fiber layer of the olfactory bulb

cg :

granular cell layer of the olfactory bulb

co :

chiasma opticum

ct :

commissura tectalis

dbc :

decussatio brachiorum conjunctivorum

DL :

nucleus dorsolateralis anterior thalami

DLP :

nucleus dorsolateralis posterior thalami

DM :

nucleus dorsomedialis thalami

dnt :

decussatio nervi trochlearis

E :

ectostriatum

Ec :

ectopic area of the nucleus isthmo-opticus

EM :

nucleus ectomamillaris

flm :

fasciculus longitudinalis medialis

fpl :

fasciculus prosencephali lateralis

FRL :

formatio reticularis lateralis mesencephali

FRM :

formatio reticularis medialis mesencephali

fu :

fasciculus uncinatus

GCt :

substantia grisea centralis

GLv :

nucleus geniculatus lateralis pars ventralis

gr :

granular cell layer of the cerebellum

HA :

hyperstriatum accessorium

HD :

hyperstriatum dorsale

HIS :

hyperstriatum intercalatus superior

HL :

nucleus habenularis lateralis

HM :

nucleus habenularis medialis

Hp :

hippocampus

HV :

hyperstriatum ventrale

ICo :

nucleus intercollicularis

i-flm :

inter fasciculus longitudinalis medialis

Imc :

nucleus ishmi pars magnocellularis

Ip :

nucleus interpeduncularis

Ipc :

nucleus isthmi pars parvocellularis

LA :

nucleus lateralis anterior thalami

La :

nucleus laminaris

LC :

nucleus linearis caudalis

LHy :

nucleus lateralis hypothalami

lm :

lemniscus medialis

LoC :

locus coeruleus

LPO :

lobus paraolfactorius

ls :

lemniscus spinalis

MLd :

nucleus mesencephalicus lateralis pars dorsalis

mo :

molecular layer of the cerebellum

MoV :

nucleus motorius nervi trigemini

Mp :

magnocellularis preopticus

N :

neostriatum

NIII :

nucleus nervi oculomotorii

nIII :

nervus oculomotorius

NIV :

nucleus nervi trochlearis

NV nucleus nervi trigemini:

nV nervus trigeminus

NVII :

nucleus nervifacialis

nVIII :

nervus octavus

NIO :

nucleus isthmo-opticus

om :

tractus occipitomesencephalicus

OPH :

hypothalamic periventricular organ

Os :

nucleus olivaris superior

Ov :

nucleus ovoidalis

PA :

paleostriatum augmentatum

Po :

nucleus pontis

POM :

nucleus preoticus medialis

PP :

paleostriatum primitivum

PrV :

nucleus sensorius principalis nervi trigemini

PT :

nucleus pretectalis

pu :

Purkinje cell layer

qf :

tractus quintofrontalis

Rai :

nucleus raphe inferior

RasV :

nucleus raphe superior pars ventralis

ReI :

recessus infundibularis

Rm :

nucleus reticularis magnocellularis

Rp :

nucleus reticularis parvocellularis

RPc :

nucleus reticularis pontis caudalis

RPO :

nucleus reticularis pontis oralis

Rt :

nucleus rotundus

Ru :

nucleus ruber

S :

septum

Sac :

stratum album centrale

SCH :

stratum cellulare hypothalami

Sgc :

stratum griseum centrale

Sgf :

stratum griseum et fibrosum superficiale

Sgfp :

stratum griseum et fibrosum periventriculare

Sop :

stratum opticum

SP :

nucleus subpretectalis

SPC :

nucleus superficialis parvocellularis

Spl :

nucleus spiriformis lateralis

Spm :

nucleus spiriformis medialis

SRt :

nucleus subrotundus

SuC :

nucleus subcoeruleus

to :

tractus opticus

Tn :

nucleus taeniae

TPc :

nucleus tegmenti pedunculo-pontinus pars compacta

Tr :

nucleus triangularis

tsm :

tractus septomesencephalicus

ttd :

nucleus et tractus descendens nervi trigemini

Tu :

nucleus tuberis

Vel :

nucleus vestibularis lateralis

Vem :

nucleus vestibularis medialis

Vlt :

nucleus ventrolateralis thalami

VT :

nucleus ventrolateralis tegmenti

Zp-flm :

zona perifasciculus longitudinalis medialis

Zp-NIII :

zona perinervus oculomotorius

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire de Neuromorphologie, INSERM U 106, Hôpital de la Salpêtrière, Bâtiment de Pédiatrie, 47 Boulevard de l'Hôpital, F-75651, 13, Paris Cedex, France

    E. Challet, D. Miceli, J. Pierre, J. Repérant & M. Herbin

  2. Départment de Psychologie, Université du Québec, Trois-Rivières, Canada

    J. Repérant & M. Herbin

  3. Department de Chimie-Biologie, Université du Québec, Trois-Rivières, Canada

    G. Masicotte

  4. Institute Sechenov, Academy of Science of Russia, St. Petersburg, Russia

    N. P. Vesselkin

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  1. E. Challet
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  2. D. Miceli
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  3. J. Pierre
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  4. J. Repérant
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  5. G. Masicotte
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  6. M. Herbin
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  7. N. P. Vesselkin
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Challet, E., Miceli, D., Pierre, J. et al. Distribution of serotonin-immunoreactivity in the brain of the pigeon (Columba livia). Anat Embryol 193, 209–227 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00198325

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