Neuronal morphology in subdivisions of the inferior colliculus of chicken (Gallus gallus)

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• 作者：Bertram Niederleitner ; ^{bertram.niederleitner@wzw.tum.de} ; Harald Luksch
• 关键词：CB ; calbindin ; CKII ; calmodulin dependent kinase II ; CR ; calretinin ; CTB ; crossed tectobulbar tract ; E ; elongated neuron ; EL ; elongated neuron with large axonal field ; GABAa尾 ; 尾-subunit of gamma amino butyric acid receptor A ; IC ; inferior colliculus ; IC
• 刊名：Journal of Chemical Neuroanatomy
• 出版年：2012
• 期刊代码：31_08910618
• 类别：neu
• 出版时间：May, 2012
• 卷：44
• 期：1
• 页码：24-33
• 文件大小：1300 K

摘要

The avian inferior colliculus (IC), also referred to as the nucleus mesencephalicus lateralis pars dorsalis (MLd), is an auditory midbrain nucleus that converges auditory cues from tonotopically organized brainstem nuclei. This information is relayed onto the optic tectum on the one hand and to nucleus ovoidalis on the other hand. Morphologically, there has been considerable debate about the number and nomenclature of the subnuclei within the IC. Here, we provide morphological characteristics of single cells in five IC subnuclei in chicken.

The cellular structure within the IC was studied by whole-cell patch technique and biocytin iontophoresis. In addition, histological staining was performed, to delineate the borders between subnuclei of the IC. We were able to discriminate between 5 subnuclei: the core of the central nucleus (ICCc), the medial and lateral shell of the central nucleus (ICCms and ICCls), the external nucleus (ICX) and the superficial nucleus (ICS) of the IC. Our findings suggest the existence of at least two different morphologies of neurons with two subtypes each.

The IC in chicken is a largely homogenous nucleus in terms of neuronal anatomy on a cellular level. However, its compartmentation into diversified subnuclei with different neurophysiological characteristics suggests a complex system to process auditory information. The auditory system in chicken is not as hypertrophied as in specialists such as the barn owl, but appears to have comparable connectivity and cellular morphology.