The phrase "a key nucleus" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used in contexts where you want to emphasize the importance or central role of a nucleus in a particular situation or system, such as in scientific or organizational discussions.
Example: "In the study of cellular biology, a key nucleus is essential for understanding the functions of the cell."
Alternatives: "a central nucleus" or "a crucial nucleus".
This text is organized around a key nucleus, This printer absolutely stinks: see Figure 19.
The first identifies thalamus as a key nucleus in the tremor pacemaker circuit (Llinás, 1984, 1988).
They find that upon reinstatement of fear c-Fos labeling is reduced in the infralimbic cortex (IL) and the connected ITC but increased in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CEM), which is a key nucleus of fear expression.
Although courtship behavior has been demonstrated previously to result in increases in extracellular DA concentration in Area X (Sasaki et al., 2006), the finding that interaction with a tutor similarly influences extracellular neurotransmitter fluctuations in this key nucleus of the juvenile AFP is a novel result.
The thalamus is a key relay nucleus that modulates both motor and cognitive coordination.
Lentiviral-based knockdown of FoxP2 expression in a key striatal nucleus of juvenile zebrafinches during song learning yields inaccurate and incomplete vocal imitation (Haesler et al. 2007).
Lesion of the locus subcoeruleus is thus hypothesized as the key nucleus involved in atonia during REM sleep, being the final motor pathway that causes inhibition of spinal motor neurons (Lu et al., 2006; Boeve et al., 2007), but this remained to be demonstrated in patients with Parkinson's disease.
It is possible that more subtle changes including synaptic changes, neuronal loss and soluble Aβ might be present within key nuclei of the hypothalamus, as a reduction in cells containing the neuropeptides vasopressin and VIP are observed in the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus of 3xTgAD mice (Sterniczuk et al., 2010).
Although there are phenotypic and genetic variations among the many dystonias, several key nuclei and white matter tracts appear to be affected.
Finally, in situ hybridization analysis revealed the broad distribution of K-Channel genes in the zebra finch brain, as well as molecular specializations of key nuclei of the song system, indicating possible roles for K-Channels in production and/or maintenance of adult birdsong.
Because our results indicate that both c-Myc and phospho-ERK1/2 are required for proliferation and cell cycle progression, we conclude that the synergistic effect between c-Myc and phospho-ERK1/2 plays a key role in nucleus pulposus cell growth under TGFβ1 stimulation.
