Functional mapping of the molluscan brain guided by synchrotron X-ray tomography.

ABSTRACT: Molluscan brains are composed of morphologically consistent and functionally interrogable neurons, offering rich opportunities for understanding how neural circuits drive behavior. Nonetheless, detailed component-level CNS maps are often lacking, total neuron numbers are unknown, and organizational principles remain poorly defined, limiting a full and systematic characterization of circuit operation. Here, we establish an accessible, generalizable approach, harnessing synchrotron X-ray tomography, to rapidly determine the three-dimensional structure of the multimillimeter-scale CNS of Lymnaea. Focusing on the feeding ganglia, we generate a full neuron-level reconstruction, revealing key design principles and revising cell count estimates upward threefold. Our atlas uncovers the supe

SUBMITTER: Crossley M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11892647 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature