The detailed morphology of pyramidal neurons was first described by Santiago Ramón y Cajal at the beginning of the 20th century. These neurons are spiny long-axon cells that are found in several regions of the CNS, notably the cerebral cortex, the hippocampus, and the amygdala. These excitatory neurons owe their name to their pyramidal soma with an apical and basal dendritic tree. These cells are the main source of intrinsic excitatory cortical synapses, and their dendritic spines are the main postsynaptic targets of excitatory synapses.
Pyramidal neurons in different cortical regions and layers vary in their connectivity, their expression of molecular markers, and their morphology and function. A detailed understanding of the development of pyramidal neurons across layers would provide a better understanding of the functional maturation of circuits in several brain regions.
This Research Topic aims to bring together studies investigating the growth and postnatal development of pyramidal neurons.
Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
- morphological and functional characterization of pyramidal neurons during their growth and postnatal development
- protein expression during pre- and postnatal development of pyramidal cells
- anatomical localization of diverse receptors on pyramidal neurons
- Differential development according to inputs and pyramidal cells’ location
- comparison of the developmental profiles of pyramidal neurons in different layers
Keywords: Pyramidal neurons, Prenatal and postnatal development, Dendritic growth, Cortical layers
Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
