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Is there any sense in the Palisade endings of eye muscles?
Author(s) -
Lienbacher Karoline,
Mustari Michael,
Hess Bernhard,
BüttnerEnnever Jean,
Horn Anja K.E.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2011.06169.x
Subject(s) - extraocular muscles , anatomy , oculomotor nucleus , nucleus , sensory system , neuroscience , biology , central nervous system , midbrain
Palisade endings (PEs), which are unique to the eye muscles, are associated with multiply innervated muscle fibers. They lie at the myotendinous junctions and form a cap around the muscle fiber tip. They are found in all animals investigated so far, but their function is not known. Recently, we demonstrated that cell bodies of PEs and tendon organs lie around the periphery of the oculomotor nucleus in the C‐ and S‐groups. A morphological analysis of these peripheral neurons revealed the existence of different populations within the C‐group. We propose that a small group of round or spindle‐shaped cells gives rise to PEs, and another group of multipolar neurons provide the multiple motor endings. If PEs have a sensory function, then their cell body location close to motor neurons would be in an ideal location to control tension in extraocular muscles; in the case of the C‐group, its proximity to the preganglionic neurons of the Edinger–Westphal nucleus would permit its participation in the near response. Despite their unusual properties, PEs may have a sensory function.