Spinal Ventral Horn Motor Neurons

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cell603 wordssynced 2026-04-02

Spinal Ventral Horn Motor Neurons

<table class="infobox infobox-celltype">
<tr>
<th class="infobox-header" colspan="2">Spinal Ventral Horn Motor Neurons</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Allen Atlas ID</td>
<td><a href="https://portal.brain-map.org/atlases-and-data/rnaseq" target="_blank">CS202210140_3705</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Lineage</td>
<td>Neuron > Motor > Spinal ventral horn</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Markers</td>
<td>CHAT, SLC5A7, ISL1, MNX1, NEFH, SLC18A3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Brain Regions</td>
<td>Spinal cord ventral horn</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Disease Vulnerability</td>
<td>[ALS](/diseases/als), [Spinal Muscular Atrophy](/diseases/spinal-muscular-atrophy), [Kennedy's Disease](/diseases/kennedys-disease)</td>
</tr>
</table>

Spinal Ventral Horn Motor Neurons

Introduction

Spinal Ventral Horn Motor [Neurons](/entities/neurons) is an important component in the neurobiology of neurodegenerative diseases. This page provides detailed information about its structure, function, and role in disease processes.

Overview

...

Spinal Ventral Horn Motor Neurons

Introduction

Overview

Mermaid diagram (expand to render)

Spinal Ventral Horn Motor Neurons are a specialized cell type classified within the Neuron > Motor > Spinal ventral horn lineage. These cells are primarily found in Spinal cord ventral horn and are characterized by expression of marker genes including CHAT, SLC5A7, ISL1, MNX1. They are selectively vulnerable in [ALS](/diseases/als), [Spinal Muscular Atrophy](/diseases/spinal-muscular-atrophy), [Kennedy's Disease](/diseases/kennedys-disease).

Multi-Taxonomy Classification

Taxonomy Database Cross-References

| Taxonomy | ID | Name / Label |
|----------|----|---------------|
| Cell Ontology (CL) | [CL:2000048](https://www.ebi.ac.uk/ols4/ontologies/cl/classes/http%253A%252F%252Fpurl.obolibrary.org%252Fobo%252FCL_2000048) | anterior horn motor neuron |

Morphology & Electrophysiology

Morphology: anterior horn motor neuron (source: Cell Ontology)
Morphology can be inferred from Cell Ontology classification

PanglaoDB Marker Cross-References

Unknown (PanglaoDB):

External Database Links

[Cell Ontology (CL:2000048)](https://www.ebi.ac.uk/ols4/ontologies/cl/classes/http%253A%252F%252Fpurl.obolibrary.org%252Fobo%252FCL_2000048)
[OBO Foundry (CL:2000048)](http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/CL_2000048)
[Allen Brain Cell Atlas](https://portal.brain-map.org/atlases-and-data/bkp/abc-atlas)
[CellxGene Census](https://cellxgene.cziscience.com/)
[Human Cell Atlas](https://www.humancellatlas.org/)
[PanglaoDB](https://panglaodb.se/)

Taxonomy & Classification

| Database | ID | Name | Confidence |
|----------|----|------|------------|
| Cell Ontology | [CL:2000048](https://www.ebi.ac.uk/ols4/ontologies/cl/classes/http%253A%252F%252Fpurl.obolibrary.org%252Fobo%252FCL_2000048) | anterior horn motor neuron | Exact |

PanglaoDB Marker Cross-References

Unknown (PanglaoDB):

External Database Links

[Cell Ontology (CL:2000048)](https://www.ebi.ac.uk/ols4/ontologies/cl/classes/http%253A%252F%252Fpurl.obolibrary.org%252Fobo%252FCL_2000048)
[OBO Foundry (CL:2000048)](http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/CL_2000048)
[Allen Brain Cell Atlas](https://portal.brain-map.org/atlases-and-data/bkp/abc-atlas)
[CellxGene Census](https://cellxgene.cziscience.com/)
[PanglaoDB](https://panglaodb.se/)

Morphology and Markers

Spinal Ventral Horn Motor Neurons are identified by the expression of the following key marker genes:

[CHAT](/genes/chat)
SLC5A7
ISL1
MNX1
NEFH
SLC18A3

These markers are used for immunohistochemical identification and single-cell RNA sequencing classification, as catalogued in the [Allen Cell Type Atlas](https://portal.brain-map.org/atlases-and-data/rnaseq).

Normal Function

Spinal Ventral Horn Motor Neurons play essential roles in neural circuits and brain function. They are found in the following brain regions:

Spinal cord ventral horn

Their normal functions include maintaining neural circuit integrity, signal processing, and contributing to the homeostasis of their local microenvironment.

Vulnerability in Disease

Spinal Ventral Horn Motor Neurons show selective vulnerability in the following neurodegenerative conditions:

[ALS](/diseases/als)
[Spinal Muscular Atrophy](/diseases/spinal-muscular-atrophy)
[Kennedy's Disease](/diseases/kennedys-disease)

The selective vulnerability of these cells is an active area of research, with factors including metabolic demands, calcium handling, exposure to toxic protein aggregates, and cell-autonomous gene expression programs contributing to their susceptibility.

Transcriptomic Profile

Single-cell and single-nucleus RNA sequencing studies have revealed the transcriptomic signature of Spinal Ventral Horn Motor Neurons. Key differentially expressed genes from the Allen Cell Type Atlas and related datasets include the marker genes listed above. These transcriptomic profiles help identify subtypes and disease-associated gene expression changes.

Key Publications

[Spinal motor neuron vulnerability in ALS](https://doi.org/10.1007/s00401-021-02318-2). Acta Neuropathol, 2021.

External Links

Allen Cell Type Atlas: [https://portal.brain-map.org/atlases-and-data/rnaseq](https://portal.brain-map.org/atlases-and-data/rnaseq)
Allen Human Brain Atlas: [https://human.brain-map.org/](https://human.brain-map.org/)
[Cell Types Index](/cell-types)
[Genes Index](/genes)
[Diseases Index](/diseases)
[Mechanisms Index](/mechanisms)
[--](/proteins/n--cadherin-protein)

Background

The study of Spinal Ventral Horn Motor Neurons has evolved significantly over the past decades. Research in this area has revealed important insights into the underlying mechanisms of neurodegeneration and continues to drive therapeutic development.

Historical context and key discoveries in this field have shaped our current understanding and will continue to guide future research directions.

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