AChE-rich magnopyramidal neurons have a left–right size asymmetry in Broca's area

• Published in: Brain research Vol. 1026; no. 2; pp. 313 - 316
• Main Authors: García, Ricardo R., Montiel, Juan F., Villalón, Aldo U., Gatica, Mario A., Aboitiz, Francisco
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Elsevier B.V 12.11.2004; Amsterdam Elsevier; New York, NY
• Subjects: Acetylcholinesterase - metabolism; Acetylcholinesterase-rich neuron; Aged; Anatomy; Biological and medical sciences; Broca's area; Cell Count - methods; Cell Size; Central nervous system; Female; Frontal Lobe - cytology; Functional Laterality - physiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Histochemistry; Humans; Male; Postmortem Changes; Primates; Pyramidal Cells - enzymology; Size asymmetry; Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs; Size asymmetry; Broca's area; Histochemistry; Acetylcholinesterase-rich neuron; Human; Cerebral cortex; Enzyme; Central nervous system; Esterases; Acetylcholinesterase; Area Broca; Carboxylic ester hydrolases; Encephalon; Neuron; Asymmetry; Language; Hydrolases; Pyramidal neuron
• ISSN: 0006-8993; 1872-6240
• DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2004.08.050

Acetylcholinesterase-rich neurons (AChERN) are a particular group of pyramidal neurons, displaying a specific laminar and ontogenetic pattern in the cerebral cortex of human and nonhuman primates. Using histochemistry and morphometrical methods, we have found a layer 3 magnopyramidal AChERN left–right size asymmetry restricted to Brodmann's area 45, a component of Broca's language area. This structural feature could be related to functional lateralization associated to syntactic processing and phonological working memory, and is consistent with a non-cholinergic role of AChE possibly linked to neuroplastic processes in the human neocortex.