Distinct subnetworks of the mouse anterior thalamic nuclei

Distinct subnetworks of the mouse anterior thalamic nuclei

Abstract Currently, classification of neuron types in the mouse thalamus remains largely incomplete. The anterior thalamic nuclei (ATN), a Papez circuit component, encompass the anterodorsal (AD), anteroventral (AV), and anteromedial (AM) thalamic nuclei. Structurally, the ATN facilitate communicati...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Houri Hintiryan, Mitchell Rudd, Sumit Nanda, Adriana E. Gutierrez, Darrick Lo, Tyler Boesen, Luis Garcia, Jiandong Sun, Christian Estrada, Hyun-Seung Mun, Seita Yamashita, Yeji E. Han, Ian Bowman, Lin Gou, Chunru Cao, Jennifer Gonzalez, Keivan Moradi, Qiuying Zhao, Inga Yenokian, Aishwarya Dev, Brian Zingg, Hanpeng Xu, Qing Xue, Muye Zhu, Lijuan Liu, Xin Chen, Zhixi Yun, Hanchuan Peng, Nicholas N. Foster, Hong-Wei Dong
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-07-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60774-6
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Abstract Currently, classification of neuron types in the mouse thalamus remains largely incomplete. The anterior thalamic nuclei (ATN), a Papez circuit component, encompass the anterodorsal (AD), anteroventral (AV), and anteromedial (AM) thalamic nuclei. Structurally, the ATN facilitate communication among the neocortex, hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus. Functionally, they play pivotal roles in learning, memory, spatial navigation, and goal-directed behaviors. Therefore, the ATN provide a promising avenue to investigate the relationship between structural and functional complexity with neuron type diversity. In male mice, comprehensive, systematically collected, pathway tracing data revealed several connectionally unique ATN cell populations, suggesting multiple parallel subnetworks run through each nucleus. Further, we applied genetic sparse labeling, brain clearing, 3D microscopic imaging, and computational informatics to morphologically characterize and catalog ATN neuron types. This study provides insights into how the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and amygdala interact through neuron type-specific ATN subnetworks to coordinate cognitive and emotional aspects of goal-directed behavior.
ISSN:2041-1723

Similar Items