Investigating Anatomical and Molecular Aspects of Proprioceptive Sensory Neuron Diversity Using a Transgenic Mouse Model

Investigating Anatomical and Molecular Aspects of Proprioceptive Sensory Neuron Diversity Using a Transgenic Mouse Model

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Sonner, Martha Jean
Language:English
Published: Wright State University / OhioLINK 2014
Subjects:
Neurosciences
muscle spindles
Golgi tendon organs
proprioception
Online Access:http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=wright1420817202
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spelling ndltd-OhioLink-oai-etd.ohiolink.edu-wright14208172022021-08-03T06:29:04Z Investigating Anatomical and Molecular Aspects of Proprioceptive Sensory Neuron Diversity Using a Transgenic Mouse Model Sonner, Martha Jean Neurosciences muscle spindles Golgi tendon organs proprioception Muscle spindles (MS) and Golgi tendon organs (GTOs) are encapsulated, stretch-activated sensory receptors housed within skeletal muscles, yet their functional contributions to proprioceptive monitoring of limb movements are quite different. For example, MS are responsible for detecting stretch of muscle fibers, and GTOs provide feedback regarding muscle tension during contraction. Peripheral axons extending from proprioceptive sensory neurons (PSNs) in the dorsal root ganglia supply MS and GTOs. MS are innervated by Group Ia and II sensory fiber endings, while GTOs are innervated by a single Group Ib sensory fiber. The developmental processes guiding axons from PSNs to their targets and the maturation of distinct functional identities in skeletal muscle, however, remain largely unknown. To study PSNs and their peripheral endings more closely, we took advantage of existing transgenic mouse models using Cre-lox recombination technology in which all proprioceptive afferents are labeled with a red fluorescent protein, tdTomato (Parvalbumin-Cre/+; Rosa-CAG-LSL-tdTomato-WPRE). Using this model, we present results from a quantitative confocal microscopy analysis of proprioceptive receptors and their associated afferent axons taken from whole-mount neonatal mouse soleus muscle preparations.We focused a portion of our analysis on the unique extramuscular bifurcation of the soleus nerve, which gives rise to stereotypic thin and thick nerve branches. Our results show that the proprioceptor-enriched thin branch of the soleus nerve always contains Ib afferents and usually a mix of Ia and II spindle afferents, but occasionally lacks MS afferents altogether or contains MS afferents of only one type. Heterogeneity in the thin branch may provide a useful tool in analysis of MS and GTO maturation during embryonic and early postnatal development. Additionally, we optimized a technique for retrieving single fluorescently labeled neurons from wild-type and PV-Cre/+; Rosa-tdT/+ dorsal root ganglia and utilized qRT-PCR to screen those neurons for expression of established and putative markers of PSNs. 2014 English text Wright State University / OhioLINK http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=wright1420817202 http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=wright1420817202 unrestricted This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: all rights reserved. It may not be copied or redistributed beyond the terms of applicable copyright laws.
collection NDLTD
language English
sources NDLTD
topic Neurosciences
muscle spindles
Golgi tendon organs
proprioception
spellingShingle Neurosciences
muscle spindles
Golgi tendon organs
proprioception
Sonner, Martha Jean
Investigating Anatomical and Molecular Aspects of Proprioceptive Sensory Neuron Diversity Using a Transgenic Mouse Model
author Sonner, Martha Jean
author_facet Sonner, Martha Jean
author_sort Sonner, Martha Jean
title Investigating Anatomical and Molecular Aspects of Proprioceptive Sensory Neuron Diversity Using a Transgenic Mouse Model
title_short Investigating Anatomical and Molecular Aspects of Proprioceptive Sensory Neuron Diversity Using a Transgenic Mouse Model
title_full Investigating Anatomical and Molecular Aspects of Proprioceptive Sensory Neuron Diversity Using a Transgenic Mouse Model
title_fullStr Investigating Anatomical and Molecular Aspects of Proprioceptive Sensory Neuron Diversity Using a Transgenic Mouse Model
title_full_unstemmed Investigating Anatomical and Molecular Aspects of Proprioceptive Sensory Neuron Diversity Using a Transgenic Mouse Model
title_sort investigating anatomical and molecular aspects of proprioceptive sensory neuron diversity using a transgenic mouse model
publisher Wright State University / OhioLINK
publishDate 2014
url http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=wright1420817202
work_keys_str_mv AT sonnermarthajean investigatinganatomicalandmolecularaspectsofproprioceptivesensoryneurondiversityusingatransgenicmousemodel
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