Expression and Function of Neuron-Glia-Related Cell Adhesion Molecule (NrCAM) in the Amygdalar Pathway
Neuron-Glia related cell adhesion molecule (NrCAM) is a candidate autism risk factor that promotes axon guidance through cytoskeletal linkages in developing brain but its role in limbic circuitry has not been investigated. In situ hybridization (ISH) and immunofluorescence staining showed that NrCAM...
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doaj-4fb2c64f6d5b43d2ab252446b4c857322020-11-25T02:46:22ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology2296-634X2019-01-01710.3389/fcell.2019.00009434077Expression and Function of Neuron-Glia-Related Cell Adhesion Molecule (NrCAM) in the Amygdalar PathwayVishwa MohanJulia R. GomezPatricia F. ManessNeuron-Glia related cell adhesion molecule (NrCAM) is a candidate autism risk factor that promotes axon guidance through cytoskeletal linkages in developing brain but its role in limbic circuitry has not been investigated. In situ hybridization (ISH) and immunofluorescence staining showed that NrCAM is expressed in the developing amygdalar pathway of mouse embryos during outgrowth of projections in the stria terminalis, a major limbic tract that interconnects the central amygdala (CeA) with key targets in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST). Analysis of fiber tracts in NrCAM mutant mice by Neurofilament protein immunohistochemistry showed pronounced defasciculation and misprojection of fibers in the ST. The defasciculation phenotype may result from impairment in NrCAM homophilic inter-axonal adhesion or axon repulsion from the secreted ligand Semaphorin 3F, which is expressed in limbic areas in proximity to the ST. Behavioral testing indicated that NrCAM null mice were impaired in context-dependent fear conditioning, in accord with altered amygdala-BNST connectivity, but displayed normal cued (tone-shock) conditioning. Results are consistent with the novel finding that NrCAM mediates fasciculation of axon fibers in the ST important for proper amygdalar-BNST circuitry and response to contextual fear conditioning.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fcell.2019.00009/fullstria terminalisNrCAMbed nucleus of the stria terminalisfear conditioninglimbic system |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Vishwa Mohan Julia R. Gomez Patricia F. Maness |
spellingShingle |
Vishwa Mohan Julia R. Gomez Patricia F. Maness Expression and Function of Neuron-Glia-Related Cell Adhesion Molecule (NrCAM) in the Amygdalar Pathway Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology stria terminalis NrCAM bed nucleus of the stria terminalis fear conditioning limbic system |
author_facet |
Vishwa Mohan Julia R. Gomez Patricia F. Maness |
author_sort |
Vishwa Mohan |
title |
Expression and Function of Neuron-Glia-Related Cell Adhesion Molecule (NrCAM) in the Amygdalar Pathway |
title_short |
Expression and Function of Neuron-Glia-Related Cell Adhesion Molecule (NrCAM) in the Amygdalar Pathway |
title_full |
Expression and Function of Neuron-Glia-Related Cell Adhesion Molecule (NrCAM) in the Amygdalar Pathway |
title_fullStr |
Expression and Function of Neuron-Glia-Related Cell Adhesion Molecule (NrCAM) in the Amygdalar Pathway |
title_full_unstemmed |
Expression and Function of Neuron-Glia-Related Cell Adhesion Molecule (NrCAM) in the Amygdalar Pathway |
title_sort |
expression and function of neuron-glia-related cell adhesion molecule (nrcam) in the amygdalar pathway |
publisher |
Frontiers Media S.A. |
series |
Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology |
issn |
2296-634X |
publishDate |
2019-01-01 |
description |
Neuron-Glia related cell adhesion molecule (NrCAM) is a candidate autism risk factor that promotes axon guidance through cytoskeletal linkages in developing brain but its role in limbic circuitry has not been investigated. In situ hybridization (ISH) and immunofluorescence staining showed that NrCAM is expressed in the developing amygdalar pathway of mouse embryos during outgrowth of projections in the stria terminalis, a major limbic tract that interconnects the central amygdala (CeA) with key targets in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST). Analysis of fiber tracts in NrCAM mutant mice by Neurofilament protein immunohistochemistry showed pronounced defasciculation and misprojection of fibers in the ST. The defasciculation phenotype may result from impairment in NrCAM homophilic inter-axonal adhesion or axon repulsion from the secreted ligand Semaphorin 3F, which is expressed in limbic areas in proximity to the ST. Behavioral testing indicated that NrCAM null mice were impaired in context-dependent fear conditioning, in accord with altered amygdala-BNST connectivity, but displayed normal cued (tone-shock) conditioning. Results are consistent with the novel finding that NrCAM mediates fasciculation of axon fibers in the ST important for proper amygdalar-BNST circuitry and response to contextual fear conditioning. |
topic |
stria terminalis NrCAM bed nucleus of the stria terminalis fear conditioning limbic system |
url |
https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fcell.2019.00009/full |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT vishwamohan expressionandfunctionofneurongliarelatedcelladhesionmoleculenrcamintheamygdalarpathway AT juliargomez expressionandfunctionofneurongliarelatedcelladhesionmoleculenrcamintheamygdalarpathway AT patriciafmaness expressionandfunctionofneurongliarelatedcelladhesionmoleculenrcamintheamygdalarpathway |
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