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. 2006 Oct 31;103(45):16906–16911. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0604994103

Fig. 2.

Fig. 2.

Cellular densities and dendritic architecture of layer V pyramidal cells in the PFC of Akt1-deficient mice. (a Top) Total cell densities in the PFC of Akt1-deficient mice and wild-type littermate control mice (Fra, frontal association cortex; Orb, orbital cortex; mPFC, medial prefrontal cortex; CC, cingulated cortex). (a Middle and Bottom) Density of calbindin-positive (Middle) and parvalbumin-positive (Bottom) GABAergic interneurons in mPFC (localized to ≈2.58, 2.1, and 1.7 mm from Bregma) of Akt1-deficient mice and wild-type littermate control mice. All data show mean + SEM. All P > 0 .05. (b) Schematic depiction of a layer V pyramidal cell in the mPFC. The classic pyramidal neurons of layer V have distinguishing larger cell bodies with a relatively thick apical dendritic shaft that emanates from the apical part of the soma and extends toward the upper cortical layers. Several oblique (collateral) dendrites originate from the apical shaft, which eventually bifurcates and branches into an apical tuft. A basilar dendritic tree also forms from primary basal dendrites stemming directly from the cell body of pyramidal neurons. Indicated are spine density sampling areas along the dendrite (I-VIII) length of the apical shaft from soma to apical bifurcation (α) as well as length of the horizontal (β) and vertical (γ) axis of the apical dendritic tuft. (c) Representative images of apical (Upper) and basal (Lower) dendrites of GFP-labeled layer V pyramidal cells in mPFC of Akt1-deficient mice and wild-type littermate control mice. (Scale bar, 100 μm.) (d Upper) Distance to apical bifurcation (μm, as shown in b-α) (Left); length of the horizontal axis of the apical tuft (μm, as shown in b-β) (Center); and length of the vertical axis of the apical tuft (μm, as shown in b-γ) (Right). (d Lower) Number of branches of apical tuft (Left); number of apical tips (Center); and total length of the apical dendrite (apical shaft and apical tuft) (Right). All data show mean + SEM. ∗, P < 0.05. (e Upper) Number of primary basal dendrites (Left); total length of primary basal dendrites (μm) (Center); and average length of primary basal dendrites (μm) (Right); (e Lower) Number of branches of basilar tree (Left); length of second or higher-order dendritic branches (μm) (Center); and total length of basal dendrites (μm) (Right). All data show mean + SEM. ∗, P < 0.05. (f) Dendritic spine density (i.e., average number of spines within 20 μm of interest area) in layer V pyramidal cells in mPFC. I, spine density at apical-proximal region (within 50 μm from the apical bifurcation); II, spine density at apical-distal region (>50 μm from the apical bifurcation); III, spine density at apical-top region; IV, spine density at apical-middle region; V, spine density at collateral-middle region; VI, spine density at collateral-basal region; VII, spine density at secondary basal dendrites; VIII, spine density at tertiary basal dendrites. All data show mean + SEM. ∗, P < 0.05.