ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Neuroanat.
Volume 19 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fnana.2025.1620527
This article is part of the Research TopicDopaminoceptive Forebrain Regions: A Search for Structural and Functional Organization Underlying Normal and Impaired Social AdaptationView all 6 articles
Characterization of the tyrosine-hydroxylase immunoreactive components of the basal subpallium in sharks: towards an identification of a basal subpallial complex
Provisionally accepted
- 1Neurodevo Group, Aquatic One Health Research Center (ARCUS), Department of Functional Biology (Cell Biology Section), Faculty of Biology, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- 2Electron Microscopy Unit, Scientific and Technological Research Support Center (CACTI), University of Vigo, Vigo, Galicia, Spain
- 3International Center of Neuroscience and Genomic Medicine, Bergondo, EuroEspes Biomedical Research Center, A Coruña, Spain
- 4Developmental Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Select one of your emails
You have multiple emails registered with Frontiers:
Notify me on publication
Please enter your email address:
If you already have an account, please login
You don't have a Frontiers account ? You can register here
Comparative studies on the forebrain of a variety of model organisms are needed to investigate the origin and degree of evolutionary conservation of this brain region and its derivatives. The catshark Scyliorhinus canicula has become a reliable model representative of cartilaginous fishes (Chondrichthyans), the oldest divergent lineage of extant gnathostomes (jawed vertebrates). Previous studies on the chemoarchitecture, connectivity and development of the subpallium of S. canicula revealed the existence of subdivisions with an embryological origin and genetic specification similar to those of tetrapods, supporting homology with their basal ganglia and certain amygdaloid components. In order to better understand the evolutionary origin of these subpallial components, we present here a summary of the main neuroanatomical, chemoarchitectural and developmental features of the area superficialis basalis of S. canicula, a nuclear aggrupation of the basal forebrain of all Chondrichthyans that has been related to the basal ganglia and to the amygdala. Particular emphasis has been placed on characterizing the tyrosine hydroxylase-positive components of the subpallium to discern their involvement in the structural organization of putative basal ganglia homologues in the catshark. We propose a new interpretation that considers the area superficialis basalis as the central part of a subpallial complex formed also by its neighboring territories, where the basic components of the basal ganglia and the amygdala of gnathostomes would be integrated.
Keywords: chondrichthyans, Scyliorhinus canicula, area superficialis basalis, Basal Ganglia, pallidum, Striatum, Amygdala, Forebrain evolution
Received: 29 Apr 2025; Accepted: 15 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Rodríguez-Moldes, Sueiro, Carrera, Quintana-Urzainqui and Candal. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Isabel Rodríguez-Moldes, Neurodevo Group, Aquatic One Health Research Center (ARCUS), Department of Functional Biology (Cell Biology Section), Faculty of Biology, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, 15782, Spain
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.