Pygmy squids and giant brains: Mapping the complex cephalopod CNS by phalloidin staining of vibratome sections and whole-mount preparations

• Published in: Journal of neuroscience methods Vol. 179; no. 1; pp. 63 - 67
• Main Authors: Wollesen, T., Loesel, R., Wanninger, A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 30.04.2009
• Subjects: Actins - metabolism; Animals; Bilateria; Brain - anatomy & histology; Brain - embryology; Brain - growth & development; Cell Nucleus - drug effects; Central Nervous System - anatomy & histology; Central Nervous System - embryology; Central Nervous System - growth & development; Complexity; Decapodiformes - anatomy & histology; Decapodiformes - embryology; Decapodiformes - growth & development; Evolution; F-actin; Fluorescence; FMRFamide - metabolism; Histocytological Preparation Techniques - methods; Immunohistochemistry; Invertebrate; Marine; Microscopy, Confocal; Nervous system; Neural marker; Neurobiology; Neurogenesis; Neuropil - drug effects; Octopodiformes - anatomy & histology; Octopodiformes - embryology; Octopodiformes - growth & development; Phalloidine; Staining and Labeling; Tubulin - metabolism; Invertebrate; F-actin; Neural marker; Neurobiology; Evolution; Nervous system; Neurogenesis; Complexity

Among bilaterian invertebrates, cephalopod molluscs (e.g., squids, cuttlefish and octopuses) have a central nervous system (CNS) that rivals in complexity that of the phylogenetically distant vertebrates (e.g., mouse and human). However, this prime example of convergent evolution has rarely been the...