Hemispheric Asymmetry of Intracortical Myelin Orientation in the Mouse Auditory Cortex

Communication sound processing in mouse AC is lateralized. Both left and right AC are highly specialised and differ in auditory stimulus representation, functional connectivity and field topography. Previous studies have highlighted intracortical functional circuits that explain hemispheric stimulus preference. However, the underlying microstructure remains poorly understood. In this study, we examine structural lateralization of AC on the basis of immunohistochemically stained and tissue-cleared adult mouse brains (n = 11). We found hemispheric asymmetries of intracortical myelination, most prominently in layer 2/3, which featured more intercolumnar connections in the right AC. Furthermore, we found a larger structural asymmetry in the right AC. We also investigated sex differences. In male mice, myelination direction in the right AC is tilted to the anterior side. This pattern is inverted in female mice. However, the spatial distribution of neuronal cell bodies in the left and right AC along the laminar axis of the cortex was remarkably symmetric in all samples. These results suggest that basic developmentally defined structures such as cortical columns remain untouched by lateral specialisation, but more plastic myelinated axons show diverse hemispheric asymmetries. These asymmetries may contribute to specialisation on lateralized tasks such as vocal communication processing or specialisation on spectral or temporal complexity of stimuli.