NMDAR-1 staining in the lateral geniculate nucleus of normal and visually deprived cats

2000 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 187-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
JOKUBAS ZIBURKUS ◽  
MARTHA E. BICKFORD ◽  
WILLIAM GUIDO
Keyword(s):  
Nmda Receptors ◽  
Lateral Geniculate Nucleus ◽  
Cell Labeling ◽  
Acid Decarboxylase ◽  
Thalamic Nuclei ◽  
Neurofilament Protein ◽  
Lateral Geniculate ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Soma Size ◽  
Adult Cats

In normal adult cats, a monoclonal antibody directed toward the NR-1 subunit of the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor (Pharmingen, clone 54.1) produced dense cellular and neuropil labeling throughout all layers of the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) and adjacent thalamic nuclei, including the thalamic reticular, perigeniculate, medial intralaminar, and ventral lateral geniculate nuclei. Cellular staining revealed well-defined somata, and in some cases proximal dendrites. NMDAR-1 cell labeling was also evident in the LGN of early postnatal kittens, suggesting that developing LGN cells possess this receptor subunit at or before eye opening. Within the A-layers of the adult LGN, staining encompassed a wide range of soma sizes. Soma size comparisons of NMDAR-1 stained cells with those stained with an antibody directed toward a nonphosphorylated neurofilament protein (SMI-32), which selectively stains Y-relay cells (Bickford et al., 1998), or an antibody to glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), which stains for GABAergic interneurons, suggested that NMDA receptors are utilized by relay cells and interneurons. NMDAR-1 staining was also observed in the LGN of cats with early monocular lid suture. Although labeling was apparent in both deprived and nondeprived A-layers of LGN, the distribution of soma sizes was significantly different. In the deprived A-layers of LGN, staining was limited to small- and medium-sized cells. Cells with relatively large soma were lacking. However, cell density measurements as well as soma size comparisons with cells stained for Nissl substance suggested these differences were due to deprivation-induced cell shrinkage and not to a loss of NMDAR-1 staining in Y-cells. Taken together, these results suggest that NMDA receptors are utilized by both relay cells and interneurons in LGN and that alterations in early visual experience do not necessarily affect the expression of NMDA receptors in the LGN.

Lagged cells in alert monkey lateral geniculate nucleus

2008 ◽  
Vol 25 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 647-659 ◽  
Author(s):  
ALAN B. SAUL
Keyword(s):  
Lateral Geniculate Nucleus ◽  
Extracellular Recording ◽  
Macaque Monkey ◽  
Direction Selectivity ◽  
Alert Monkey ◽  
Lateral Geniculate ◽  
Multiple Dimensions ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Lagged Cells ◽  
Response Timing

AbstractFive lagged cells were recognized by extracellular recording in the lateral geniculate nucleus of an awake, behaving macaque monkey. Previous reports of lagged cells were all in the anesthetized cat. Both parvocellular and magnocellular lagged cells were observed. Response timing was distributed continuously across the population, and both sustained and transient responses were seen in the magnocellular subpopulation. Cortex thus receives signals with a wide range of timing, which can mediate direction selectivity across multiple dimensions.

Retinogeniculate EPSPs recorded intracellularly in the ferret lateral geniculate nucleus in vitro: Role of NMDA receptors

1992 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 545-555 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuel Esguerra ◽  
Young H. Kwon ◽  
Mriganka Sur
Keyword(s):  
Membrane Potential ◽  
Nmda Receptor ◽  
Nmda Receptors ◽  
Lateral Geniculate Nucleus ◽  
Excitatory Amino Acid ◽  
Optic Tract ◽  
Receptor Activation ◽  
Lateral Geniculate

AbstractWe used an in vitro preparation of the ferret lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) to examine the role of the NMDA class of excitatory amino acid (EAA) receptors in retinogeniculate transmission. Intracellular recordings revealed that blockade of NMDA receptors both shortened the time course and reduced the amplitude of fast and slow components of excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) evoked by optic tract stimulation. The amplitude and width of the EPSPs mediated by NMDA receptors increased as membrane potential was depolarized towards spike threshold. Individual LGN cells were influenced to varying extents by blockade of NMDA receptors; NMDA and non-NMDA receptor blockade together attenuated severely the entire retinogeniculate EPSP. The dependence of all components of retinogeniculate EPSPs (and action potentials) on NMDA receptor activation supports the hypothesis that the NMDA receptor participates in fast (<10 ms) synaptic events underlying conventional retinogeniculate transmission. The voltage dependence of the NMDA receptor-gated conductance suggests strongly that the transmission of retinal information through the LGN is subject to modulation by extraretinal inputs that affect the membrane potential of LGN neurons.

Morphology of physiologically identified retinogeniculate X- and Y-axons in the cat

1987 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Sur ◽  
M. Esguerra ◽  
P. E. Garraghty ◽  
M. F. Kritzer ◽  
S. M. Sherman
Keyword(s):  
Horseradish Peroxidase ◽  
Lateral Geniculate Nucleus ◽  
Morphological Analysis ◽  
Optic Tract ◽  
Pial Surface ◽  
Lateral Geniculate ◽  
Physiological Properties ◽  
Terminal Arbor ◽  
Subsequent Application ◽  
Adult Cats

1.We studied the morphology of individual, physiologically identified retinogeniculate axons in normal adult cats. The axons were recorded in the lateral geniculate nucleus or in the subjacent optic tract, characterized as X or Y by physiological criteria, penetrated, and injected with horseradish peroxidase. With subsequent application of appropriate histochemistry, the enzyme provides a complete label of the terminal arbors and parent trunks for morphological analysis. We have recovered for such analysis 26 X- and 25 Y-axons; of these, 14 X- and 12 Y-axons were studied in detail. 2. Within the optic tract, the parent trunk of every X-axon is located closer to the lateral geniculate nucleus and thus further from the pial surface than that of every Y-axon. This probably reflects the earlier development of X- than of Y-axons. Furthermore, the parent axon trunks of the X-axons are noticeably thinner than are those of the Y-axons. Every retinogeniculate X- and Y-axon in our sample branches within the optic tract. One of these branches heads dorsally to innervate the lateral geniculate nucleus and one heads medially and rostrally toward the midbrain, although none of these labeled axons were traced to a terminal arbor beyond the lateral geniculate nucleus. For Y-axons, all branches are of comparable diameter, but for X-axons, the branch heading toward the lateral geniculate nucleus is always noticeably thicker than is the branch directed toward the midbrain. 3. Every retinogeniculate X- and Y-axon produces the greatest portion of its terminal arbor in lamina A (if from the contralateral retina) or A1 (if from the ipsilateral retina). These arbors typically extend across most of the lamina along a projection line. Not a single terminal bouton from any axon was found in the inappropriate lamina A or A1 (i.e., in lamina A for ipsilaterally projecting axons or in lamina A1 for contralaterally projecting ones). Occasionally, an X-axon also innervates the medial interlaminar nucleus, and even more rarely does an X-axon innervate the C-laminae. In contrast, nearly all Y-axons from the contralateral retina branch to innervate part of the C-laminae (probably lamina C), and most from either retina also innervate the medial interlaminar nucleus. Although these details imply considerable variation in the overall pattern of retinogeniculate innervation for both X- and Y-axons, we found no physiological properties to correlate with this variation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Selective cell loss in the lateral geniculate nucleus of adult cats following binocular lid suture

1977 ◽  
Vol 130 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Walter L. Salinger ◽  
Mark A. Schwartz ◽  
Philip R. Wilkerson
Keyword(s):  
Lateral Geniculate Nucleus ◽  
Cell Loss ◽  
Lateral Geniculate ◽  
Adult Cats

scholarly journals Convergent evolution of brain morphology and communication modalities in lizards

2015 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
pp. 281-291 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher D. Robinson ◽  
Michael S. Patton ◽  
Brittney M. Andre ◽  
Michele A. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Lateral Geniculate Nucleus ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Chemical Signals ◽  
Visual Signals ◽  
Brain Morphology ◽  
Lizard Species ◽  
Lateral Geniculate ◽  
Hemidactylus Turcicus ◽  
Soma Size ◽  
Communication Modalities

Abstract Animals communicate information within their environments via visual, chemical, auditory, and/or tactile modalities. The use of each modalityis generally linked to particular brain regions, but it is not yet known whether the cellular morphology of neurons in these regions has evolved in association with the relative use of a modality.We investigated relationships between the behavioral use of communication modalities and neural morphologies in six lizard species. Two of these species (Anolis carolinensis and Leiocephalus carinatus) primarily use visual signals to communicate with conspecifics and detect potential prey, and two (Aspidoscelis gularis and Scincella lateralis) communicate and forage primarily using chemical signals. Two other species (Hemidactylus turcicus and Sceloporus olivaceus) use both visual and chemical signals. For each species, we performed behavioral observations and quantified rates of visual and chemical behaviors. We then cryosectioned brain tissues from 9–10 males of each species and measured the soma size and density of neurons in two brain regions associated with visual behaviors (the lateral geniculate nucleus and the nucleus rotundus) and one region associated with chemical behaviors (the nucleus sphericus). With analyses conducted in a phylogenetic context, we found that species that performed higher rates of visual displays had a denser lateral geniculate nucleus, and species that used a higher proportion of chemical displays had larger somas in the nucleus sphericus. These relationships suggest that neural morphologies in the brain have evolved convergently in species with similar communication behaviors.

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