Proliferation, Migration, and Survival of Cells in the Telencephalon of the Ball Python, Python regius

<p>Reptiles exhibit neurogenesis throughout the brain during adulthood. However, very few studies have quantified telencephalon-wide neurogenesis in adulthood, and no studies have performed these investigations in snakes. Quantifying neurogenesis in the adult snake is essential to understanding class-wide adult neurogenesis and providing insight into the evolution of this trait. The thymidine analog 5-bromo-2’-deoxyuridine (BrdU) was used to quantify cell proliferation, migration, and survival in the ball python (<em>Python regius</em>). First, to determine the proper dose of BrdU for injection we subcutaneously injected 50mg/kg, 100mg/kg, and 250mg/kg into 15 adult male <em>P. regius</em>. We found the 250mg/kg dose marked significantly more cells than the 50mg/kg dose, but not the 100mg/kg dose. Then we subcutaneously injected 100mg/kg BrdU into 15 juvenile male P. regius at 3 different time points (2 days, 2 weeks, 2 months) prior to sacrifice to quantify proliferation, migration, and survival of cells in several telencephalic subregions. After sectioning and immunohistochemical staining, we found proliferation to be highest in the accessory olfactory bulb (AoB), retrobulbar regions (AD, AV), dorsal ventricular ridge (DVR), and dorsolateral amygdala/lateral amygdala (DLA/LA). Of the proliferating cells, the proportions of cells that migrated after 2 weeks were highest in the ventral lateral region (VL), anterior medial and lateral cortices (aMC, aLC), and anterior NS (aNS). After 2 months, the highest proportional survival was in the AoB, aLC, aMC, aNS, DVR, and ventral medial regions (VM). Regions involved in long-term functions like spatial memory may require less proliferation and longer survival, while regions involved in short-term functions undergo more proliferation with higher relative attrition.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

MS in Biological Sciences

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Biological Sciences

Year dc:date.available

2014

Author dc:creator

• Bales, Thomas B

Contributors dc:contributor

• Christine R Strand

• neurogenesis
• reptile
• snake
• python
• brain
• comparative
• Other Neuroscience and Neurobiology

Identifier

10.15368/theses.2014.130

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.calpoly.edu:theses-2376