Guglielmotti Vittorio, Cristino Luigia
Institute of Cybernetics E. Caianiello, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, via Campi Flegrei, 34, 80078 Pozzuoli, Naples, Italy.
Brain Res Bull. 2006 May 15;69(5):475-88. doi: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2006.03.010. Epub 2006 Apr 5.
This paper presents an overview on the epithalamus of vertebrates, with particular reference to the pineal and to the asymmetrical organization of the habenular nuclei in lower vertebrates. The relationship between the pineal and the habenulae in the course of phylogenesis is here emphasized, taking data in the frog as example. Altogether the data support the hypothesis, put forward also in earlier studies, of a correlation of habenular asymmetry in lower vertebrates with phylogenetic modification of the pineal complex. The present re-visitation was also stimulated by recent data on the asymmetrical expression of Nodal genes, which involves the pineal and habenular structures in zebrafish. The comparative analysis of data, from cyclostomes to mammals, suggests that transformation of epithalamic structures may play an important role in brain evolution. In addition, in mammals, including rodents, a remarkable complexity has evolved in the organization of the habenulae and their functional interactions with the pineal gland. The evolution of these two epithalamic structures seems to open also new perspectives of knowledge on their implication in the regulation of biological rhythms.
本文概述了脊椎动物的上丘脑，特别提及了松果体以及低等脊椎动物缰核的不对称组织。本文以青蛙的数据为例，强调了松果体与缰核在系统发育过程中的关系。总体而言，这些数据支持了早期研究中提出的假说，即低等脊椎动物的缰核不对称与松果体复合体的系统发育变化相关。近期关于斑马鱼中涉及松果体和缰核结构的Nodal基因不对称表达的数据，也促使了本次重新审视。从圆口类到哺乳类的数据比较分析表明，上丘脑结构的转变可能在大脑进化中起重要作用。此外，在包括啮齿动物在内的哺乳动物中，缰核的组织及其与松果体的功能相互作用已经演化出显著的复杂性。这两个上丘脑结构的进化似乎也为了解它们在生物节律调节中的作用开辟了新的视角。
