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Morphology of corticotectal cells in the primary visual cortex of hooded rats
Author(s) -
Schofield Brett R.,
Hallman L. Eric,
Lin ChiaSheng
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.902610107
Subject(s) - superior colliculus , visual cortex , biology , antidromic , neuroscience , dendrite (mathematics) , pyramidal cell , axon , cortex (anatomy) , anatomy , lucifer yellow , apical dendrite , cerebral cortex , retina , orientation column , horseradish peroxidase , electrophysiology , intracellular , microbiology and biotechnology , striate cortex , hippocampal formation , gap junction , biochemistry , geometry , mathematics , enzyme
In primary visual cortex of hooded rats, pyramidal cells in layer V may be classified as long, medium, or short, on the basis of the layer in which the apical dendrite terminates. The present study determines which of these types of pyramidal cells project to the superior colliculus. Two different strategies were used to label corticotectal cells with horseradish peroxidase (HRP). In the first set of experiments, a large number of corticotectal cells were labeled by retrograde transport following injection of HRP into the superior colliculus. In the second set of experiments, single unit recording was used to identify corticotectal cells physiologically by antidromic activation from the superior colliculus. These cells were then impaled and labeled by intracellular iontophoresis of HRP. The results from both techniques suggest that only long pyramidal cells send an axon to the superior colliculus. These cells are distinguished by an apical dendrite that extends into layer I. We conclude that in hooded rats corticotectal cells in primary visual cortex are the long pyramids in layer V.