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Catecholaminergic subpopulation of retinal displaced ganglion cells projects to the accessory optic nucleus in the pigeon ( Columba livia )
Author(s) -
Britto Luiz R. G.,
Keyser Kent T.,
Hamassaki Dania E.,
Karten Harvey J.
Publication year - 1988
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.902690109
Subject(s) - biology , catecholaminergic , retinal , nucleus , intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells , anatomy , ganglion , neuroscience , retinal ganglion cell , giant retinal ganglion cells , retina , dopamine , biochemistry
Abstract In birds, displaced ganglion cells (DGCs) constitute the exclusive source of retinal input to the nucleus of the basal optic root (nBOR) of the accessory optic system. Tyrosine‐hydroxylase (TH) immunoreactivity was examined in the pigeon retina after injections of rhodamine‐labeled microspheres into the nBOR. A population of about 400 DGCs was observed in each case to exhibit both TH immunoreactivity and rhodamine bead fluorescence. This corresponded to about 10–15% of the total number of identified DGCs in each retina. Double‐labeled cells were medium‐ to large‐size (12 to 20 μm in the largest axis) and were always located at the border between the inner nuclear and the inner plexiform layers. Their dendrites could be followed horizontally in lamina 1 of the inner plexiform layer for up to 300 μm from the cell body. The distribution of double‐labeled DGCs appeared to be mostly peripheral, matching the overall distribution of identified DGCs. Larger DGCs (21–28 μm) were never seen to contain TH immunoreactivity. Examination of brain sections revealed plexuses of thin varicose TH‐positive axons in all subdivisions of the nBOR. Unilateral enucleation produced an almost complete elimination of TH immunoreactivity in the contralateral nucleus. Such results suggest the existence of a population of catecholaminergic DGCs projecting into the accessory optic system of the pigeon. They also support the emerging hypothesis concerning the neurotransmitter heterogeneity of ganglion cells in the vertebrate retina.