Nervous system

About: Nervous system is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 16729 publications have been published within this topic receiving 847181 citations.

Embryonic expression and cloning of the murine GATA-3 gene

Abstract: We describe the embryonic expression pattern as well as the cloning and initial transcriptional regulatory analysis of the murine (m) GATA-3 gene. In situ hybridization shows that mGATA-3 mRNA accumulation is temporally and spatially regulated during early development: although found most abundantly in the placenta prior to 10 days of embryogenesis, mGATA-3 expression becomes restricted to specific cells within the embryonic central nervous system (in the mesencephalon, diencephalon, pons and inner ear) later in gestation. GATA-3 also shows a restricted expression pattern in the peripheral nervous system, including terminally differentiating cells in the cranial and sympathetic ganglia. In addition to this distinct pattern in the nervous system, mGATA-3 is also expressed in the embryonic kidney and the thymic rudiment, and further analysis showed that it is expressed throughout T lymphocyte differentiation. To begin to investigate how this complex gene expression pattern is elicited, cloning and transcriptional regulatory analyses of the mGATA-3 gene were initiated. At least two regulatory elements (one positive and one negative) appear to be required for appropriate tissue-restricted regulation after transfection of mGATA-3-directed reporter genes into cells that naturally express GATA-3 (T lymphocytes and neuroblastoma cells). Furthermore, this same region of the locus confers developmentally appropriate expression in transgenic mice, but only in a subset of the tissues that naturally express the gene.

The Nervous Systems of Invertebrates: An Evolutionary and Comparative Approach

Abstract: Introductory remarks.- Coelenterata.- The nervous systems of Cnidarians.- Platyhelminthes.- The flatworm nervous system: Pattern and phylogeny.- Nematoda.- Repeating patterns of motoneurons in nematodes: The origin of segmentation?.- Annelida.- Genesis of segmental identity in the leech nervous system.- Mollusca.- Comparative aspects of gastropod neurobiology.- The cephalopod nervous system: What evolution has made of the molluscan design.- Onychophora.- Common and special features of the nervous system of Onychophora: A comparison with Arthropoda, Annelida and some other invertebrates.- Arthropoda Chelicerata.- Comparative aspects of the chelicerate nervous systems.- Mandibulata Embryogenesis.- Conservation versus change in early axonogenesis in arthropod embryos: A comparison between myriapods, crustaceans and insects.- Motoneurones.- Homologous structures, exemplified by motoneurones of Mandibulata.- Sensory neurones.- Developmental mechanisms, homology and evolution of the insect peripheral nervous system.- Interneurones.- Lineage analysis as an analytical tool in the insect central nervous system: Bringing order to interneurons.- Peptidergic neurones.- Comparative aspects of peptidergic signaling pathways in the nervous systems of arthropods.- The arthropod brain.- Ground plans, evolutionary changes and homologies in decapod crustacean brains.- The arthropod mushroom body: Its functional roles, evolutionary enigmas and mistaken identities.- Is the evolution of arthropod brains convergent?.- Echinodermata.- The nervous systems of Echinodermata: Recent results and new approaches.- Methodological comment.- The homology concept-still alive.- Coda.- Are the main grades of brains different principally in numbers of connections or also in quality?.

Specification of temporal identity in the developing nervous system.

Abstract: ▪ Abstract The nervous system of higher organisms exhibits extraordinary cellular diversity owing to complex spatial and temporal patterning mechanisms. The role of spatial patterning in generating neuronal diversity is well known; here we discuss how neural progenitors change over time to contribute to cell diversity within the central nervous system (CNS). We focus on five model systems: the vertebrate retina, cortex, hindbrain, spinal cord, and Drosophila neuroblasts. For each, we address the following questions: Do multipotent progenitors generate different neuronal cell types in an invariant order? Do changes in progenitor-intrinsic factors or progenitor-extrinsic signals regulate temporal identity (i.e., the sequence of neuronal cell types produced)? What is the mechanism that regulates temporal identity transitions; i.e., what triggers the switch from one temporal identity to the next? By applying the same criteria to analyze each model system, we try to highlight common themes, point out unique at...

Immunofluorescence of dopamine- -hydroxylase. Application of improved methodology to the localization of the peripheral and central noradrenergic nervous system.

Abstract: This paper reviews key aspects of immunofluorescent methods for demonstration of dopamine-β-hydroxylase and discusses some recent applications of these methods.