Biology subjects

Balesar, R.

Publications and source records attributed to Balesar, R..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Giving you five: A neuroimaging atlas of the nigrosomes in the substantia nigra based on 3D histology

Nigrosomes are formed by clusters of pigmented dopaminergic cells in the substantia nigra that critically contribute to dopaminergic function. The ever-increasing resolution of ultra-high-field MRI brings clinical imaging of these clusters into reach, promising unprecedented insight into the functional role of the nigrosomes and their early degeneration in Parkinsons disease. However, due to the nigrosomes small extents and intricate shapes, they are not included in current MRI brain atlases, preventing nigrosome-specific MRI data analysis. We provide a comprehensive 3D histological atlas of the five nigrosomes co-aligned to the widely-used MNI152 2009b space. This atlas is based on 3D-reconstructed, ultra-high-resolution block-face images and gold-standard nigrosome delineations in calbindin-D28K immunohistochemistry. We validated the atlass accuracy using the multimodal ultra-high-resolution post mortem BigBrain dataset and demonstrated its consistency with qualitative nigrosome atlases based on classical 2D histology. We provide detailed usage instructions for applying our atlas to ultra-high-resolution and -field MRI data. The openly available atlas enables neuroimaging studies of the nigrosomes, opening a new avenue toward understanding the differential involvement of the nigrosomes in the healthy and diseased brain and the development of neuroimaging biomarkers of dopaminergic neurodegeneration.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2022

Stress-associated purinergic receptors code for fatal suicidality in the hippocampal-hypothalamic-prefrontal circuit

Imbalanced purine metabolism is a key neurological basis for suicide and mood disorders (MD), wherein purinergic receptors in stress-sensitive cerebral regions are thought to be differentially activated. A hippocampal network that links the hypothalamus and prefrontal cortex implements an affective sensation of stress. We discovered that the hippocampus encoded fatal suicidal ideations in the dentate gyrus (DG) by a considerable amount of the granule cell nuclei with P2X purinoceptor 7 (P2RX7) expression, irrespective of the underlying MD. Compared to controls, patients with MD showed microglial dyshomeostasis throughout the hippocampal formation. Strikingly, P2Y purinoceptor 12 (P2RY12)-expressing microglia with segmented processes were remarkably present in the superficial layers of the medial entorhinal cortex (mEnt) in individuals with fatal suicidality. In the hypothalamic stress-sensitive nuclei, P2RY12+ microglia were more expressed in the supraoptic nucleus in MD and even higher when fatal suicidality was present. In the prefrontal cortex, P2RX7 transcripts sharply dropped in suicidal individuals, possibly removing the prefrontal inhibition of the hippocampus and hypothalamus. Confounder analysis showed that the suicide-specific molecular features faded when the postmortem delay was prolonged. Our findings imply that fatal suicidality presents with unique neuropathological alterations. The DG and mEnt are two crucial areas for deciphering the suicidal consequences. By including brain samples from legal euthanasia donors, suicide-specific biosignatures can be maximally retained. Decoding the bioactive framework through key genes, brain regions and neurological processes involved in suicide neuropathology may provide novel therapeutic strategies for suicidal individuals who are beyond the reach of mental health care.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2020

Measuring the iron content of dopaminergic neurons in substantia nigra with MRI relaxometry

In Parkinsons disease, the depletion of iron-rich dopaminergic neurons in substantia nigras nigrosome 1 precedes first motor symptoms by two decades. Monitoring this neuronal depletion at an early disease stage is needed for diagnosis and treatment monitoring. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is particularly suitable for this task due to its sensitivity to tissue iron. However, the mechanisms of MRI contrast in substantia nigra are not well understood, hindering the development of specific biomarkers. We showed that the dominant contribution to the effective transverse MRI relaxation rate [Formula] in nigrosome 1 originates from iron accumulated in the neuromelanin of dopaminergic neurons. We linked [Formula] quantitatively to the product of cell density and local iron concentration in dopaminergic neurons, combining quantitative 3D iron histology, biophysical modeling, and quantitative MRI on post mortem brain tissue. This knowledge opens an avenue for monitoring neuronal iron and density in vivo and may be applied to detect early neurodegeneration in Parkinsons disease.

neuroscience↗