Brain morphological analysis in mice with hyperactivation of the hedgehog signaling pathway

TL;DR

This study explores how hyperactivation of the hedgehog signaling pathway affects brain structure in mice, revealing increased volumes in specific brain regions.

Contribution

The study provides new insights into regional brain volume changes associated with hedgehog signaling pathway hyperactivation in mice.

Findings

Ptch heterozygous deletion mice showed increased amygdala, striatum, and pallidum volumes in global segmentation.

Detailed segmentation revealed increased volumes in the lateral and medial parts of the central nucleus of the amygdala.

These findings suggest a link between brain morphological changes and hyperactive hedgehog signaling.

Abstract

Hedgehog signaling is a highly conserved pathway that plays pivotal roles in morphogenesis, tumorigenesis, osteogenesis, and wound healing. Previous investigations in patients with Gorlin syndrome found low harm avoidance traits, and increased volumes in the cerebrum, cerebellum, and cerebral ventricles, suggesting the association between brain morphology and the constitutive hyperactivation of hedgehog signaling, while the changes of regional brain volumes in upregulated hedgehog signaling pathway remains unclear so far. Herein, we investigated comprehensive brain regional volumes using quantitative structural brain MRI, and identified increased volumes of amygdala, striatum, and pallidum on the global segmentation, and increased volumes of the lateral and medial parts of the central nucleus of the amygdala on the detail segmentation in Ptch heterozygous deletion mice. Our data may enhance comprehension of the association between brain morphogenic changes and hyperactivity in hedgehog signaling.

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