Research

Over the past decade, the vast majority of resources in basic and translational neuroscience has been directed to rodent model systems, following the assumption that universal principles apply across species. However, realistically, it is clear that many brain areas have species-specific structural and functional organizations, and further, that understanding complex human neurological disorders will require comparative approaches across model systems. The mouse lemur (Microcebus murinus), the world’s smallest primate, can contribute substantially to this comparison because of its evolutionary and genetic similarity to humans and rodents, its small brain size, and its rapid reproductive cycle. Here, to extend the utility of the mouse lemur as a model organism, we provide an advanced web-based brain atlas featuring both basic and detailed anatomical characteristics. Our work extends the coarse anatomical information available in existing stereotaxic, Nissl stain and MRI brain atlas of the mouse lemur by including many new details about cell types, laminar structures, and more.

The subthalamic nuclues is known as an integrative information hubs within the basal ganglia, receiving extensive inputs from cortical and subcortical areas. Based on this characteristics, the subthalamic nucleus is the primary target for deep brain stimulation (DBS) which implement high frequency stimulation directly on the subthalamic nuclues. However, despite of decades long implication, circuit level mechanism underlying STN-DBS remains unknown, and even fundamental characteristics such as functional anatomy, molecular profiling and synaptic profiles of the STN circuitry are uncler due to the lack of systemic approaches. We thus provide detailed connectome description of excitatory and inhibitory inputs into the STN, using fluorescent protein-expressing viral tracers and mammlian GFP reconstitution across synaptic partner (mGRASP) for mapping connectivity of the STN at meso- and micro-scale, and commonly available Allen Connectivity Atals data set. We identified complex projection patterns in the STN from cortical regions and external globus pallidus.