Premium
Ultrastructure of synapses from the A‐laminae of the lateral geniculate nucleus in layer IV of the cat striate cortex
Author(s) -
Einste Gillian,
Davis Thomas L.,
Sterling Peter
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
journal of comparative neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.855
H-Index - 209
eISSN - 1096-9861
pISSN - 0021-9967
DOI - 10.1002/cne.902600106
Subject(s) - geniculate , neuropil , postsynaptic potential , lateral geniculate nucleus , biology , synapse , ultrastructure , dendritic spine , anatomy , synaptic vesicle , visual cortex , neuroscience , geniculate body , nucleus , vesicle , central nervous system , biochemistry , receptor , hippocampal formation , membrane
The morphology of synapses in layer IV of the cat striate cortex was studied by electron microscope (EM) autoradiography of serial sections following injection of tritiated amino acids into the lateral geniculate nucleus. Of the terminals in the neuropil, 22% had 2 or more silver grains in 10 successive sections and were labeled at 8–80 times the background level. These terminals were considered to be specifically labeled and to be derived from the lateral geniculate. Two forms of geniculate synapse were observed. One had medium‐size, round vesicles and a modest postsynaptic asymmetry (RA); the other had smaller, pleomorphic vesicles and hardly any postsynaptic opacity; that is, it appeared symmetrical (PS). The geniculate RA terminals were presynaptic to dendritic spines, fine processes, and cell bodies; the geniculate PS terminals were presynaptic to dendrites and cell bodies but not to spines. The possible sources of geniculate PS terminals are discussed.