Musculotopic organization of the motor neurons supplying the mouse hindlimb muscles: a quantitative study using Fluoro-Gold retrograde tracing

We have mapped the motor neurons (MNs) supplying the major hindlimb muscles of transgenic (C57/BL6J-ChAT-EGFP) and wild-type (C57/BL6J) mice. The fluorescent retrograde tracer Fluoro-Gold was injected into 19 hindlimb muscles. Consecutive transverse spinal cord sections were harvested, the MNs count...

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Main Authors: Bacskai, T., Rusznak, Z., Paxinos, G., Watson, Charles
Format: Journal Article
Published: Springer 2014
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/26565
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author Bacskai, T.
Rusznak, Z.
Paxinos, G.
Watson, Charles
author_facet Bacskai, T.
Rusznak, Z.
Paxinos, G.
Watson, Charles
author_sort Bacskai, T.
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description We have mapped the motor neurons (MNs) supplying the major hindlimb muscles of transgenic (C57/BL6J-ChAT-EGFP) and wild-type (C57/BL6J) mice. The fluorescent retrograde tracer Fluoro-Gold was injected into 19 hindlimb muscles. Consecutive transverse spinal cord sections were harvested, the MNs counted, and the MN columns reconstructed in 3D. Three longitudinal MN columns were identified. The dorsolateral column extends from L4 to L6 and consists of MNs innervating the crural muscles and the foot. The ventrolateral column extends from L1 to L6 and accommodates MNs supplying the iliopsoas, gluteal, and quadriceps femoris muscles. The middle part of the ventral horn hosts the central MN column, which extends between L2–L6 and consists of MNs for the thigh adductor, hamstring, and quadratus femoris muscles. Within these longitudinal columns, the arrangement of the different MN groups reflects their somatotopic organization. MNs innervating muscles developing from the dorsal (e.g., quadriceps) and ventral muscle mass (e.g., hamstring) are situated in the lateral and medial part of the ventral gray, respectively.MN pools belonging to proximal muscles (e.g., quadratus femoris and iliopsoas) are situatedventral to those supplying more distal ones (e.g., plantar muscles). Finally, MNs innervatingflexors (e.g., posterior crural muscles) are more medial than those belonging to extensors ofthe same joint (e.g., anterior crural muscles). These data extend and modify the MN maps in the recently published atlas of the mouse spinal cord and may help when assessing neuronal loss associated with MN diseases.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-265652019-02-19T05:35:39Z Musculotopic organization of the motor neurons supplying the mouse hindlimb muscles: a quantitative study using Fluoro-Gold retrograde tracing Bacskai, T. Rusznak, Z. Paxinos, G. Watson, Charles Hindlimb Spinal cord Motor neuron Retrograde tracing Musculotopic organization 3D modeling We have mapped the motor neurons (MNs) supplying the major hindlimb muscles of transgenic (C57/BL6J-ChAT-EGFP) and wild-type (C57/BL6J) mice. The fluorescent retrograde tracer Fluoro-Gold was injected into 19 hindlimb muscles. Consecutive transverse spinal cord sections were harvested, the MNs counted, and the MN columns reconstructed in 3D. Three longitudinal MN columns were identified. The dorsolateral column extends from L4 to L6 and consists of MNs innervating the crural muscles and the foot. The ventrolateral column extends from L1 to L6 and accommodates MNs supplying the iliopsoas, gluteal, and quadriceps femoris muscles. The middle part of the ventral horn hosts the central MN column, which extends between L2–L6 and consists of MNs for the thigh adductor, hamstring, and quadratus femoris muscles. Within these longitudinal columns, the arrangement of the different MN groups reflects their somatotopic organization. MNs innervating muscles developing from the dorsal (e.g., quadriceps) and ventral muscle mass (e.g., hamstring) are situated in the lateral and medial part of the ventral gray, respectively.MN pools belonging to proximal muscles (e.g., quadratus femoris and iliopsoas) are situatedventral to those supplying more distal ones (e.g., plantar muscles). Finally, MNs innervatingflexors (e.g., posterior crural muscles) are more medial than those belonging to extensors ofthe same joint (e.g., anterior crural muscles). These data extend and modify the MN maps in the recently published atlas of the mouse spinal cord and may help when assessing neuronal loss associated with MN diseases. 2014 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/26565 10.1007/s00429-012-0501-7 Springer fulltext
spellingShingle Hindlimb Spinal cord Motor neuron Retrograde tracing Musculotopic organization 3D modeling
Bacskai, T.
Rusznak, Z.
Paxinos, G.
Watson, Charles
Musculotopic organization of the motor neurons supplying the mouse hindlimb muscles: a quantitative study using Fluoro-Gold retrograde tracing
title Musculotopic organization of the motor neurons supplying the mouse hindlimb muscles: a quantitative study using Fluoro-Gold retrograde tracing
title_full Musculotopic organization of the motor neurons supplying the mouse hindlimb muscles: a quantitative study using Fluoro-Gold retrograde tracing
title_fullStr Musculotopic organization of the motor neurons supplying the mouse hindlimb muscles: a quantitative study using Fluoro-Gold retrograde tracing
title_full_unstemmed Musculotopic organization of the motor neurons supplying the mouse hindlimb muscles: a quantitative study using Fluoro-Gold retrograde tracing
title_short Musculotopic organization of the motor neurons supplying the mouse hindlimb muscles: a quantitative study using Fluoro-Gold retrograde tracing
title_sort musculotopic organization of the motor neurons supplying the mouse hindlimb muscles: a quantitative study using fluoro-gold retrograde tracing
topic Hindlimb Spinal cord Motor neuron Retrograde tracing Musculotopic organization 3D modeling
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/26565