Data on the recovery of glycinergic neurons after spinal cord injury in lampreys.

We used immunohistochemical methods to quantify changes in the number of glycine-immunoreactive neurons of the dorsomedial, lateral and cerebrospinal fluid contacting cell populations of the spinal cord of larval sea lampreys after a complete spinal cord injury. The data presented here are quantifications of the number of glycine-immunoreactive neurons located in the rostral and caudal stumps of the spinal cord and the corresponding statistical analyses. These data show that, glycine immunoreactivity is lost in glycinergic neurons immediately after injury and that the number of glycine-immunoreactive neurons is recovered in the following two weeks.

Taurine Promotes Axonal Regeneration after a Complete Spinal Cord Injury in Lampreys.

Taurine is one of the most abundant free amino acids in the brain. It is well known that taurine protects the brain from further damage after a traumatic event. However, only a few studies have looked at the possible role of taurine in the regulation of axon regeneration after injury.

GABA promotes survival and axonal regeneration in identifiable descending neurons after spinal cord injury in larval lampreys.

The poor regenerative capacity of descending neurons is one of the main causes of the lack of recovery after spinal cord injury (SCI). Thus, it is of crucial importance to find ways to promote axonal regeneration. In addition, the prevention of retrograde degeneration leading to the atrophy/death of descending neurons is an obvious prerequisite to activate axonal regeneration.

Organization of alpha-transducin immunoreactive system in the brain and retina of larval and young adult Sea Lamprey (Petromyzon marinus), and their relationship with other neural systems.

We employed an anti-transducin antibody (Gαt-S), in combination with other markers, to characterize the Gαt-S-immunoreactive (ir) system in the CNS of the sea lamprey, Petromyzon marinus. Gαt-S immunoreactivity was observed in some neuronal populations and numerous fibers distributed throughout the brain. Double Gαt-S- and opsin-ir neurons (putative photoreceptors) are distributed in the hypothalamus (postoptic commissure nucleus, dorsal and ventral hypothalamus) and caudal diencephalon, confirming results of García-Fernández et al.

Cloning of the GABA Receptor Subunits B1 and B2 and their Expression in the Central Nervous System of the Adult Sea Lamprey.

In vertebrates, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is the main inhibitory transmitter in the central nervous system (CNS) acting through ionotropic (GABA) and metabotropic (GABA) receptors. The GABA receptor produces a slow inhibition since it activates second messenger systems through the binding and activation of guanine nucleotide-binding proteins [G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs)]. Lampreys are a key reference to understand molecular evolution in vertebrates.

Anatomical recovery of the spinal glutamatergic system following a complete spinal cord injury in lampreys.

Lampreys recover locomotion following a spinal cord injury (SCI). Glutamate is necessary to initiate and control locomotion and recent data suggest a crucial role for intraspinal neurons in functional recovery following SCI. We aimed to determine whether, in lampreys, axotomized spinal glutamatergic neurons, which lose glutamate immunoreactivity immediately after SCI, recover it later on and to study the long-term evolution and anatomical recovery of the spinal glutamatergic system after SCI.

Spatiotemporal Pattern of Doublecortin Expression in the Retina of the Sea Lamprey.

Despite the importance of doublecortin (DCX) for the development of the nervous system, its expression in the retina of most vertebrates is still unknown. The key phylogenetic position of lampreys, together with their complex life cycle, with a long blind larval stage and an active predator adult stage, makes them an interesting model to study retinal development. Here, we studied the spatiotemporal pattern of expression of DCX in the retina of the sea lamprey.

Full anatomical recovery of the dopaminergic system after a complete spinal cord injury in lampreys.

Following a spinal injury, lampreys at first are paralyzed below the level of transection. However, they recover locomotion after several weeks, and this is accompanied by the regeneration of descending axons from the brain and the production of new neurons in the spinal cord. Here, we aimed to analyse the changes in the dopaminergic system of the sea lamprey after a complete spinal transection by studying the changes in dopaminergic cell numbers and dopaminergic innervation in the spinal cord.

Neuronal release and successful astrocyte uptake of aminoacidergic neurotransmitters after spinal cord injury in lampreys.

In contrast to mammals, the spinal cord of lampreys spontaneously recovers from a complete spinal cord injury (SCI). Understanding the differences between lampreys and mammals in their response to SCI could provide valuable information to propose new therapies. Unique properties of the astrocytes of lampreys probably contribute to the success of spinal cord regeneration.

Traumatic injury induces changes in the expression of the serotonin 1A receptor in the spinal cord of lampreys.

After spinal cord injury (SCI) in mammals, the loss of serotonin coming from the brainstem reduces the excitability of motor neurons and leads to a compensatory overexpression of serotonin receptors. Despite the key role of the serotonin receptor 1a in the control of locomotion, little attention has been put in the study of this receptor after SCI. In contrast to mammals, lampreys recover locomotion after a complete SCI, so, studies in this specie could help to understand events that lead to recovery of function.

Aspartate-containing neurons of the brainstem and rostral spinal cord of the sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus: distribution and comparison with γ-aminobutyric acid.

The amino acid L-aspartate (ASP) is one of the most abundant excitatory neurotransmitters in the mammalian brain, but its distribution in other vertebrates has not yet been well characterized. We investigated the distribution of ASP in the brainstem and rostral spinal cord of the adult sea lamprey by using ASP immunohistochemistry. Our results indicate that ASP is accumulated in specific neurons, but not in glia (tanycytes).

The glutamatergic neurons in the spinal cord of the sea lamprey: an in situ hybridization and immunohistochemical study.

Glutamate is the main excitatory neurotransmitter involved in spinal cord circuits in vertebrates, but in most groups the distribution of glutamatergic spinal neurons is still unknown. Lampreys have been extensively used as a model to investigate the neuronal circuits underlying locomotion. Glutamatergic circuits have been characterized on the basis of the excitatory responses elicited in postsynaptic neurons.

Glutamatergic neuronal populations in the brainstem of the sea lamprey, Petromyzon marinus: an in situ hybridization and immunocytochemical study.

Glutamate is the major excitatory neurotransmitter in vertebrates, and glutamatergic cells probably represent a majority of neurons in the brain. Physiological studies have demonstrated a wide presence of excitatory (glutamatergic) neurons in lampreys. The present in situ hybridization study with probes for the lamprey vesicular glutamate transporter (VGLUT) provides an anatomical basis for the general distribution and precise localization of glutamatergic neurons in the sea lamprey brainstem.