Cross-Streams Through the Ventral Posteromedial Thalamic Nucleus to Convey Vibrissal Information

Huimin Zhang; Huimin Zhang; Xiaojun Wang; Xiaojun Wang; Wenyan Guo; Wenyan Guo; Anan Li; Anan Li; Ruixi Chen; Ruixi Chen; Fei Huang; Fei Huang; Xiaoxiang Liu; Xiaoxiang Liu; Yijun Chen; Yijun Chen; Ning Li; Ning Li; Xiuli Liu; Xiuli Liu; Tonghui Xu; Zheng Xue; Shaoqun Zeng; Shaoqun Zeng

doi:10.3389/fnana.2021.724861

Frontiers in Neuroanatomy (Oct 2021)

Cross-Streams Through the Ventral Posteromedial Thalamic Nucleus to Convey Vibrissal Information

Huimin Zhang,
Huimin Zhang,
Xiaojun Wang,
Xiaojun Wang,
Wenyan Guo,
Wenyan Guo,
Anan Li,
Anan Li,
Ruixi Chen,
Ruixi Chen,
Fei Huang,
Fei Huang,
Xiaoxiang Liu,
Xiaoxiang Liu,
Yijun Chen,
Yijun Chen,
Ning Li,
Ning Li,
Xiuli Liu,
Xiuli Liu,
Tonghui Xu,
Zheng Xue,
Shaoqun Zeng,
Shaoqun Zeng

Affiliations

Huimin Zhang: Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
Huimin Zhang: Britton Chance Center and MOE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, School of Engineering Sciences, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
Xiaojun Wang: Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
Xiaojun Wang: Britton Chance Center and MOE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, School of Engineering Sciences, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
Wenyan Guo: Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
Wenyan Guo: Britton Chance Center and MOE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, School of Engineering Sciences, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
Anan Li: Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
Anan Li: Britton Chance Center and MOE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, School of Engineering Sciences, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
Ruixi Chen: Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
Ruixi Chen: Britton Chance Center and MOE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, School of Engineering Sciences, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
Fei Huang: Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
Fei Huang: Britton Chance Center and MOE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, School of Engineering Sciences, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
Xiaoxiang Liu: Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
Xiaoxiang Liu: Britton Chance Center and MOE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, School of Engineering Sciences, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
Yijun Chen: Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
Yijun Chen: Britton Chance Center and MOE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, School of Engineering Sciences, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
Ning Li: Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
Ning Li: Britton Chance Center and MOE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, School of Engineering Sciences, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
Xiuli Liu: Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
Xiuli Liu: Britton Chance Center and MOE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, School of Engineering Sciences, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
Tonghui Xu: Department of Laboratory Animal Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
Zheng Xue: Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
Shaoqun Zeng: Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
Shaoqun Zeng: Britton Chance Center and MOE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, School of Engineering Sciences, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fnana.2021.724861
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 15

Abstract

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Whisker detection is crucial to adapt to the environment for some animals, but how the nervous system processes and integrates whisker information is still an open question. It is well-known that two main parallel pathways through Ventral posteromedial thalamic nucleus (VPM) ascend to the barrel cortex, and classical theory suggests that the cross-talk from trigeminal nucleus interpolaris (Sp5i) to principal nucleus (Pr5) between the main parallel pathways contributes to the multi-whisker integration in barrel columns. Moreover, some studies suggest there are other cross-streams between the parallel pathways. To confirm their existence, in this study we used a dual-viral labeling strategy and high-resolution, large-volume light imaging to get the complete morphology of individual VPM neurons and trace their projections. We found some new thalamocortical projections from the ventral lateral part of VPM (VPMvl) to barrel columns. In addition, the retrograde-viral labeling and imaging results showed there were the large trigeminothalamic projections from Sp5i to the dorsomedial section of VPM (VPMdm). Our results reveal new cross-streams between the parallel pathways through VPM, which may involve the execution of multi-whisker integration in barrel columns.

Published in Frontiers in Neuroanatomy

ISSN: 1662-5129 (Online)
Publisher: Frontiers Media S.A.
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Medicine: Internal medicine: Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry; Science: Human anatomy
Website: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neuroanatomy

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