Biomaterial Database

Somatotopic organization of the facial lobe of the sea catfish Arius felis studied by transganglionic transport of horseradish peroxidase. 1996

S Kiyohara, and J Caprio

Department of Biology, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Kagoshima University, Japan. kiyohara@cla.kagoshima-u.as.jp

To reveal the somatotopical organization of the facial lobe (FL), a primary medullary gustatory nucleus in the sea catfish Arius felis, the central projections of the peripheral rami of the facial nerve innervating taste buds located across the entire body surface and rostral oral regions were traced by means of horseradish peroxidase neurohistochemistry. The maxillary barbel, lateral mandibular barbel, medial mandibular barbel, and trunk-tail branches project to four different longitudinal columns (i.e., lobules) extending rostrocaudally in the FL. The trunk-tail lobule, which is located dorsolateral to the barbel lobules, lies in the anterior two-thirds of the FL. The tail is represented in a more rostral portion of the trunk-tail lobule than the trunk, indicating that the rostrocaudal trunk axis is represented in the trunk-tail lobule in a posteroanterior axis. The pectoral fin branch ends in an intermediate region of the FL, whereas the hyomandibular, ophthalmic, lower lip, upper lip, and palatine branches terminate in discrete regions of the caudal one-third of the FL. These results reveal a sharply defined somatotopical organization of the FL of Arius and support the hypothesis that the number and lengths of the barbel lobules within the FL of catfishes are directly related to the number and relative lengths of the barbels. An additional subcolumn, the intermediate nucleus of the FL (NIF), which develops in the medioventral region of the caudal two-thirds of the FL, receives projections in a diffuse somatotopical fashion from the barbels, lower lip, and palatine branches. Trigeminal fibers of the barbel and lower lip branches project in a somatotopic fashion to the FL. The present findings suggest that the FL of Arius is highly organized somatotopically to detect, by tropotaxis, precise spatial information concerning taste and tactile stimuli in the environment.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008526	Medulla Oblongata	The lower portion of the BRAIN STEM. It is inferior to the PONS and anterior to the CEREBELLUM. Medulla oblongata serves as a relay station between the brain and the spinal cord, and contains centers for regulating respiratory, vasomotor, cardiac, and reflex activities.	Accessory Cuneate Nucleus,Ambiguous Nucleus,Arcuate Nucleus of the Medulla,Arcuate Nucleus-1,External Cuneate Nucleus,Lateral Cuneate Nucleus,Nucleus Ambiguus,Ambiguus, Nucleus,Arcuate Nucleus 1,Arcuate Nucleus-1s,Cuneate Nucleus, Accessory,Cuneate Nucleus, External,Cuneate Nucleus, Lateral,Medulla Oblongatas,Nucleus, Accessory Cuneate,Nucleus, Ambiguous,Nucleus, External Cuneate,Nucleus, Lateral Cuneate
D009434	Neural Pathways	Neural tracts connecting one part of the nervous system with another.	Neural Interconnections,Interconnection, Neural,Interconnections, Neural,Neural Interconnection,Neural Pathway,Pathway, Neural,Pathways, Neural
D002397	Catfishes	Common name of the order Siluriformes. This order contains many families and over 2,000 species, including venomous species. Heteropneustes and Plotosus genera have dangerous stings and are aggressive. Most species are passive stingers.	Eremophilus mutisii,Heteropneustes,Plotosus,Siluriformes,Arius,Catfish,Colombian Catfish,Catfish, Colombian
D005154	Facial Nerve	The 7th cranial nerve. The facial nerve has two parts, the larger motor root which may be called the facial nerve proper, and the smaller intermediate or sensory root. Together they provide efferent innervation to the muscles of facial expression and to the lacrimal and SALIVARY GLANDS, and convey afferent information for TASTE from the anterior two-thirds of the TONGUE and for TOUCH from the EXTERNAL EAR.	Cranial Nerve VII,Marginal Mandibular Branch,Marginal Mandibular Nerve,Seventh Cranial Nerve,Nerve VII,Nerve of Wrisberg,Nervus Facialis,Nervus Intermedius,Nervus Intermedius of Wrisberg,Cranial Nerve VIIs,Cranial Nerve, Seventh,Facial Nerves,Mandibular Nerve, Marginal,Mandibular Nerves, Marginal,Marginal Mandibular Nerves,Nerve VIIs,Nerve, Facial,Nerve, Marginal Mandibular,Nerve, Seventh Cranial,Nerves, Marginal Mandibular,Nervus Faciali,Seventh Cranial Nerves,Wrisberg Nerve,Wrisberg Nervus Intermedius
D006651	Histocytochemistry	Study of intracellular distribution of chemicals, reaction sites, enzymes, etc., by means of staining reactions, radioactive isotope uptake, selective metal distribution in electron microscopy, or other methods.	Cytochemistry
D006735	Horseradish Peroxidase	An enzyme isolated from horseradish which is able to act as an antigen. It is frequently used as a histochemical tracer for light and electron microscopy. Its antigenicity has permitted its use as a combined antigen and marker in experimental immunology.	Alpha-Peroxidase,Ferrihorseradish Peroxidase,Horseradish Peroxidase II,Horseradish Peroxidase III,Alpha Peroxidase,II, Horseradish Peroxidase,III, Horseradish Peroxidase,Peroxidase II, Horseradish,Peroxidase III, Horseradish,Peroxidase, Ferrihorseradish,Peroxidase, Horseradish
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D013649	Taste	The ability to detect chemicals through gustatory receptors in the mouth, including those on the TONGUE; the PALATE; the PHARYNX; and the EPIGLOTTIS.	Gustation,Taste Sense,Gustations,Sense, Taste,Senses, Taste,Taste Senses,Tastes
D013650	Taste Buds	Small sensory organs which contain gustatory receptor cells, basal cells, and supporting cells. Taste buds in humans are found in the epithelia of the tongue, palate, and pharynx. They are innervated by the CHORDA TYMPANI NERVE (a branch of the facial nerve) and the GLOSSOPHARYNGEAL NERVE.	Bud, Taste,Buds, Taste,Taste Bud
D014630	Vagus Nerve	The 10th cranial nerve. The vagus is a mixed nerve which contains somatic afferents (from skin in back of the ear and the external auditory meatus), visceral afferents (from the pharynx, larynx, thorax, and abdomen), parasympathetic efferents (to the thorax and abdomen), and efferents to striated muscle (of the larynx and pharynx).	Cranial Nerve X,Pneumogastric Nerve,Tenth Cranial Nerve,Nerve X,Nervus Vagus,Cranial Nerve, Tenth,Cranial Nerves, Tenth,Nerve X, Cranial,Nerve Xs,Nerve, Pneumogastric,Nerve, Tenth Cranial,Nerve, Vagus,Nerves, Pneumogastric,Nerves, Tenth Cranial,Nerves, Vagus,Pneumogastric Nerves,Tenth Cranial Nerves,Vagus Nerves,Vagus, Nervus