1. The Distinct Characteristics of Somatostatin Neurons in the Human Brain
- Author
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Ivan Banovac, Dora Sedmak, Monique Esclapez, Zdravko Petanjek, University of Zagreb, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, Institut de Neurosciences des Systèmes (INS), Aix Marseille Université (AMU)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), This research was supported by the Croatian Science Foundation Grants No. IP-2019-04-3182 (Brain extracellular matrix in development and in perinatal hypoxia, PI: Natasa Jovanov Milosevic) and No. 5943 (Microcircuitry of higher cognitive functions, PI: Zdravko Petanjek), and co-financed by the Scientific Centre of Excellence for Basic, Clinical, and Translational Neuroscience (project Experimental and clinical research of hypoxic-ischemic damage in perinatal and adult brain, and GA KK01.1.1.01.0007 funded by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund).
- Subjects
Cerebral Cortex ,Calbindins ,endocrine system ,RNA, Messenger / genetics ,Neuropeptide Y / metabolism ,Cerebral Cortex / metabolism ,RNA, Messenger / metabolism ,Neuroscience (miscellaneous) ,Somatostatin / metabolism ,GABAergic Neurons / metabolism ,Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience ,nervous system ,Neurology ,Calbindins / metabolism ,somatostatin ,prefrontal cortex ,human ,GABA ,interneurons ,schizophrenia ,Humans ,Neuropeptide Y ,[SDV.NEU]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Neurons and Cognition [q-bio.NC] ,RNA, Messenger ,GABAergic Neurons ,Somatostatin ,hormones, hormone substitutes, and hormone antagonists - Abstract
Somatostatin cells are frequently described as a major population of GABAergic neurons in the cerebral cortex, however, a comprehensive analysis of their molecular expression, morphological features and laminar distribution has not yet been performed. In this study, we provided a detailed description of somatostatin neurons in the human prefrontal cortex, including their proportion in the total neuron population, laminar distribution, neurotransmitter phenotype as well as their molecular and morphological characteristics using immunofluorescence and RNAscope in situ hybridization. We found that somatostatin neurons comprise around 7% of neocortical neurons in the human Brodmann areas 9 and 14r, without significant difference between the two regions. Somatostatin cells were NeuN positive and synthesized vesicular GABA transporter and glutamate decarboxylase 1 and 2, confirming their neuronal nature and GABAergic phenotype. Somatostatin cells in the upper cortical layers were small, had a high expression of somatostatin mRNA, a relatively low expression of somatostatin peptide and co-expressed calbindin. In the lower cortical layers, somatostatin cells were larger with complex somato-dendritic morphology, typically showed a lower expression of somatostatin mRNA and a high expression of somatostatin peptide, and co-expressed neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), but not calbindin. Somatostatin neurons in the white matter co-expressed MAP2. Based on their somato-dendritic morphology, cortical somatostatin neurons could be classified into at least five subtypes. The somatostatin neurons of the human prefrontal cortex show remarkable morphological and molecular complexity with substantial differences compared to rodents, both of which imply a unique function in the human brain.
- Published
- 2022
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