Neuronal and Non‐neuronal Cell Type Mapping in the Mouse Brain

Abstract

The brain contains multiple neuronal and non‐neuronal cell types with distinct spatial relationship that serve as a basic building block in the brain. I previously developed high resolution mapping methods to visualize and to quantify these individual brain cell types across the entire mouse brain. In this talk, I will present my lab’s effort to understand spatial arrangement of several major cell types in the mouse brain across lifetime. I previously applied my mapping methods to examine GABAergic neuronal cell types, c‐Fos‐labeled cells representing functional network activation, and long‐range anatomical connectivity of oxytocin neurons. Moreover, I used the method to trace the complete network of cerebrovasculature and pericytes that showed striking correlation with cortical parvalbumin and neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) positive neurons. Recently, my lab established a new online anatomical atlas for the adult mouse brain that combines the segmentation of the Allen Mouse Brian Atlas and Paxinos Mouse Brain Atlas, and developed new atlas framework for early postnatal brains. Using these resources, I have mapped developmental trajectories of oxytocin receptor‐expressing neurons during early postnatal development, unveiling spatial temporal patterns of the brain cell type. In summary, high resolution anatomical mapping of cell types helps to understand overall anatomical and functional organization of the brain.