Distal-less-like protein distribution in the larval lamprey forebrain

A polyclonal antibody against the Drosophila distal-less (DLL) protein, cross-reactive with cognate vertebrate proteins, was employed to map DLL-like expression in the midlarval lamprey forebrain. This work aimed to characterize in detail the separate diencephalic and telencephalic DLL expression domains, in order to test our previous modified definition of the lamprey prethalamus [Pombal and Puelles (1999) J Comp Neurol 414:391–422], adapt our earlier schema of prosomeric subdivisions in the lamprey forebrain to more recent versions of this model [Pombal et al. (2009) Brain Behav Evol 74:7–19] and reexamine the pallio-subpallial regionalization of the lamprey telencephalon. We observed a large-scale conservation of the topologic distribution of the DLL protein, in consonance with patterns of Dlx expression present in other vertebrates studied. Moreover, evidence was obtained of substantial numbers of DLL-positive neurons in the olfactory bulb and the cerebral hemispheres, in a pattern consistent with possible tangential migration out of the subpallium into the overlying pallium, as occurs in mammals, birds, frogs and teleost fishes.

Research highlights▶The topographical expression of DLX proteins is conserved in the CNS of vertebrates. ▶DLL-expression supports the pallio-subpallial division of the lamprey telencephalon. ▶DLL-expression confirms our previous definition of the lamprey prethalamus. ▶DLL-expression reinforced the evolved lamprey prosomeric model. ▶Many subpallial DLL-ir cells migrate into the olfactory bulb and other pallial areas.