Defining distinct molecular properties of the two striatal medium spiny neurons (MSNs) has
been a challenging task for basal ganglia (BG) neuroscientists. Identifying differential
molecular components in each MSN subtype is crucial for BG researchers to understand
functional properties of these two neurons. The two MSN populations are morphologically
identical except in their projections through the direct verses indirect BG pathways and they
are heterogeneously dispersed throughout the dorsal striatum (dStr) and nucleus …