3D reconstruction and standardization of the rat vibrissal cortex for precise registration of single neuron morphology.

ABSTRACT: The three-dimensional (3D) structure of neural circuits is commonly studied by reconstructing individual or small groups of neurons in separate preparations. Investigation of structural organization principles or quantification of dendritic and axonal innervation thus requires integration of many reconstructed morphologies into a common reference frame. Here we present a standardized 3D model of the rat vibrissal cortex and introduce an automated registration tool that allows for precise placement of single neuron reconstructions. We (1) developed an automated image processing pipeline to reconstruct 3D anatomical landmarks, i.e., the barrels in Layer 4, the pia and white matter surfaces and the blood vessel pattern from high-resolution images, (2) quantified these landmarks in 12 differen

SUBMITTER: Egger R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3527218 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature