Pyramidal Neurons Grow Up and Change Their Mind

Pyramidal Neurons Grow Up and Change Their Mind

The precise stereotypic projections of pyramidal neurons within the six-layered cortex of mammals are key in allowing this structure to attain its high level of function. Recent studies have provided the first indications that postmitotic transcription factors are required for the formation and maintenance of both corticofugal and intracortical pyramidal cell populations. Here, we discuss these...

Pyramidal Neurons

The effect of the fluorescent Ca2+ indicator dye Fura-2 on Ca2+ dynamics was studied in proximal apical dendrites of neocortical layer V and hippocampal CAl pyramidal neurons in rat brain slices using somatic whole-cell recording and a charge-coupled device camera. A single action potential evoked a transient increase of intradendritic calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) that was reduced in size an...

Pyramidal neurons

Figure 1. Dendritic morphologies of typical pyramidal neurons in different brain regions. (A) Layer 5 pyramidal neuron in the rat somatosensory cortex (courtesy of Maarten Kole). (B) Pyramidal neuron in area CA3 of the rat hippocampus (reproduced with permission from Gonzales et al. (2001).) (C) Layer 2 pyramidal neuron in the primary olfactory cortex of the mouse (unpublished work of Norimitsu...

"I Won't Grow Up"

Glutamatergic nonpyramidal neurons from neocortical layer VI and their comparison with pyramidal and spiny stellate neurons.

The deeper part of neocortical layer VI is dominated by nonpyramidal neurons, which lack a prominent vertically ascending dendrite and predominantly establish corticocortical connections. These neurons were studied in rat neocortical slices using patch-clamp, single-cell reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, and biocytin labeling. The majority of these neurons expressed the vesicular...