Tectothalamic Pathways in the Tree Shrew Superior Colliculus

Design and Validation of Cell-Type Specific Viral Tools for Tree Shrew Superior Colliculus 

Lead: Arda Kipcak

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Kipcak A, Erisir A. CBLN2 promoter enables genetic access to wide-field neurons of the tree shrew superior colliculus. Cell Rep Methods. 2026 Mar 23;6(3):101309. doi: 10.1016/j.crmeth.2026.101309.

Synaptome of Wide-Field Cells in the Tree Shrew Superior Colliculus

Lead: Arda Kipcak

Tecto-Geniculate Cell Types and Pathways in the Tree Shrew and Mice Superior Colliculus

Lead: Delaney Eaves

Tecto-Pulvinar Pathways in the Tree Shrew Superior Colliculus

Lead: Rebecca Roberts  

RECENT COMPLETED PROJECTS

Tecto-Geniculate Projections:

Synaptic Circuitry of Koniocellular vs. Magno / Parvo Pathways in the Tree Shrew Visual Thalamus

Characterization of Axon Terminals from Superior Colliculus in the Tree Shrew LGN. (Lead: Francesca Sciaccotta)

Teasers: Morphological Properties of Magno/Parvo and Koniocellular Retinal Ganglion Cell Axons in the Tree Shrew LGN.  

​Sciaccotta F, Kipcak A, Erisir A. Morphological and Molecular Distinctions of Parallel Processing Streams Reveal Two Koniocellular Pathways in the Tree Shrew DLGN. eNeuro. 2025 Jul 10;12(7):ENEURO.0522-24.2025. doi: 10.1523/ENEURO.0522-24.2025.

3D EM Connectomics Studies of the Visual Pathways  

Selectivity of Synaptic Inputs in Developing Mouse LGN. 

Selectivity of Synaptic Inputs onto Dendrite Segments in the Mouse Visual Thalamus, using 3D EM connectomics and modeling. Maher,  Briegel, Imtiaz, Fox, Golino, Erisir, 2023, Frontiers Neuroanatomy.

More to come:  Morphology and Connectivity of Geniculate Relay Cell Dendrites and Synaptic Inputs in P14 Mice. Lead: Sydney Holton

Ultrastructural Neuropathology

Oligodendrocyte Dysregulation in Transgenic Alzheimer's Mice Models
 

Dysregulated oligodendrocyte and myelin dynamics as an early pathological feature of neuropil degeneration in Alzheimer's disease: an ultrastructural study. Erisir A, Maher EE, Anderson Z, Chawla S, Hanley L, Zhao A, Birisik K, Toklucu ES, Keskinoz EN. 
 

Progression of Cellular Damage in Basal Forebrain

Ependymal Cell alterations in the 3xTg mice 

Have you seen an amyloid plaque so up close?

Mitochondria Alterations in AD

Mitochondrial Alterations in Alzheimer's Disease: Insight from the 5xFAD Mouse Model. Elif Nedret Keskinoz, Musa Celik, Ezgi Sila Toklucu, Kerem Birisik, Alev Erisir, Devrim Oz Arslan. 2025. Molecular Neurobiology.

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Mechanisms of Oxytocin Release in Prairie Vole Brain

The Histochemical Brain Atlas of The Prairie Vole (Microtus ochrogaster). 2024  Erin Ramos, Griffin Jiron Zoe Anderson, and Alev Erisir
The central oxytocinergic system of the prairie vole.
Ramos EN, Jiron GM, Danoff JS, Anderson Z, Carter CS, Perkeybile AM, Connelly JJ, Erisir A.
Brain Struct Funct. 2024 Jul 23.  

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Synaptic Connectivity Motifs of Horizontal Cell Dendrites in the Tree Shrew Superficial Superior Colliculus: A 3D EM Connectomics Study

Francesca Sciaccotta and Stephanie Zhang

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