Chemo-architecture of area prostriata in adult and developing mice: comparison with presubiculum and parasubiculum

Abstract

Retrosplenial area 29e, which was a cortical region described mostly in earlier rodent literature, is often included in the dorsal presubiculum (PrSd) or postsubiculum (PoS) in modern literature and commonly used brain atlases. Recent anatomical and molecular studies have revealed that retrosplenial area 29e belongs to the superficial layers of area prostriata, which in primates is found to be important in fast analysis of quickly moving objects in far peripheral visual field. As in primates, the prostriata in rodents adjoins area 29 (granular retrosplenial area), area 30 (agranular retrosplenial area), medial visual cortex, PrSd-PoS, parasubiculum (PaS) and postrhinal cortex (PoR). The present study aims to reveal the chemo-architecture of the prostriata versus PrSd-PoS or PaS by means of a systematic survey of gene expression patterns in adult and developing mouse brains. First, we find many genes that display differential expression across the prostriata, PrSd-PoS and PaS and that show obvious laminar expression patterns. Second, we reveal subsets of genes that selectively express in the dorsal or ventral parts of the prostriata, suggesting the existence of at least two subdivisions. Third, we detect some genes that shows differential expression in the prostriata of postnatal mouse brains from adjoining regions, thus enabling identification of the developing area prostriata. Fourth, gene expression difference of the prostriata from the medial visual cortex and PoR is also observed. Finally, molecular and connectional features of the prostriata in rodents and non-human primates are discussed and compared.

Chemoarchitecture of area prostriata in adult and developing mice: Comparison with presubiculum and parasubiculum

“…Additionally, our recent pilot study on the connectivity of the prostriata in postanal rats has revealed the projections from the prostriata to medial V1 at P7 and 14 (unpublished data). It worth noting that, in a recently published prenatal human brain atlas, the prostriata is also not recognizable at PCW 15 and 21 (Ding et al, 2022), although it is possible to identify it at later stages due to the long period of prenatal development. Our localization of the prostriata in the postnatal mouse brains would provide an anatomical base for future studies related to prostriata development and functional maturation.…”