An HRP study in the monkey of olivary projections from the mesodiencephalic structures with particular reference to pretecto-olivary neurons

The cells of origin of the olivary projection from mesodiencephalic structures have been demonstrated in the Japanese monkey (Macaca fuscata) with the horseradish peroxidase (HRP) method. Particular attention has been paid to the pretecto-olivary projection which is entirely ipsilateral and originates from the nucleus of the optic tract (NOT), the posterior (or principal) pretectal nucleus (PPN), the sublentiform nucleus (SL), and the (pretectal) ventral lateral zone (VLZ). Pretecto-olivary cells are small-medium sizes of oval or fusiform types. To facilitate comparison among the findings of several experiments, a diagram of the macaque olive, as visualized unfolded, was constructed (Fig. 1). Although a topographic correlation has not emerged clearly from the present experiments, the pattern of the pretecto-olivary projection in the monkey appears to be similar to that found in the cat. Participation of some of the pretectal nuclei in the optokinetic nystagmus and the vestibulo-ocular reflex is discussed in connection with the pretecto-olivary and olivocerebellar projections.     

Corticocortical projections to the monkey temporal lobe with particular reference to the visual processing pathways

Cortico-cortical connections occurring within the temporal lobe and afferent projections to the temporal cortex particularly from the prefrontal and parahippocampal areas were studied in the monkey by means of retrograde axonal transport of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) or wheat-germ-agglutinin-conjugated HRP (WGA-HRP). In particular, 0.1-0.3 microliter of 50% HRP or 5% WGA-HRP was injected into various parts of the temporal cortex, i.e. the rostral (TEr), the caudal (TEc), and the most caudal (TEO) parts of the inferotemporal cortex, the superior temporal gyrus, and the temporal pole (TG), and in the upper bank of the inferior arcuate sulcus in the frontal lobe. Labeled cells, which represent cells of origin of association fibers projecting to the injection site, appeared in various cortical regions. The main findings of the present study are the following. The temporal pole (TG) receives fibers almost exclusively from the most rostral part of the TE. The rostral part of the TE receives many fibers from both the caudal part of the TE and the TEO. The caudal part of the TE receives fibers from the TEO, and the TEO from the prestriate cortex (OA and OB). Taking these findings together, the morphological basis of the "step-wise" progression of visual impulses from the prestriate cortex to the TEO, TE and finally to the TG is clearly presented. The superior temporal gyrus (TA or area 22) receives most fibers from the dorsolateral frontal gyrus, while the inferotemporal cortex (TE or areas 21 and 20) receives most fibers from the ventrolateral frontal gyrus (inferior frontal convexity). Both the temporal pole (TG) and the inferotemporal cortex (TE) receives a fair number of fibers from the parahippocampal region (TH and TF).     

An HRP study in the cat of brainstem projections to the spinal cord, with particular reference to sacral afferents

Cells of origin of the spinal projections from the brainstem of the cat have been studied by means of retrograde axonal transport of horseradish peroxidase (HRP). Following injections of HRP into various levels of the spinal cord, many labeled cells were found in several structures in the brainstem. The labeled cells occurred in the raphe nuclei, reticular formation, vestibular complex, and nuclei of the dorsolateral pontine tegmentum. In the dorsolateral pontine tegmentum, many labeled cells were found in the nuclei of locus coeruleus, subcoeruleus and K?lliker-Fuse. In the coeruleus and subcoeruleus, the greatest number of labeled cells were found, when HRP was injected into the sacral cord. No difference emerged, however, in the number of labeled cells appearing in the K?lliker-Fuse nucleus after injection of the enzyme into different levels of the spinal cord. It appears that neurons in the lateral vestibular nucleus which project to different levels of the spinal cord are located in different parts of this nucleus.     

Activation in posterior superior temporal sulcus parallels parameter inducing the percept of animacy

An essential, evolutionarily stable feature of brain function is the detection of animate entities, and one of the main cues to identify them is their movement. We developed a model of a simple interaction between two objects, in which an increase of the correlation between their movements varied the amount of interactivity and animacy observers attributed to them. Functional magnetic resonance imaging revealed that activation in the posterior superior temporal sulcus and gyrus (pSTS/pSTG) increased in relation to the degree of correlated motion between the two objects. This activation increase was not different when subjects performed an explicit or implicit task while observing these interacting objects. These data suggest that the pSTS and pSTG play a role in the automatic identification of animate entities, by responding directly to an objective movement characteristic inducing the percept of animacy, such as the amount of interactivity between two moving objects.     

Cortico-cortical projections from the prefrontal cortex to the superior temporal sulcal area (STs) in the monkey studied by means of HRP method.

Cortico-cortical connections from the prefrontal cortex to the superior temporal sulcal cortex (STs area) were studied in the monkey by means of retrograde axonal transport of horseradish peroxidase (HRP). After injections of 0.15-0.6 microliter of 50% HRP into the STs area, labeled cells were found in various cortical regions. In the prefrontal-STs projections, main features of topographic correlation were revealed; the posterior part of the STs area receives fibers from the superior frontal convexity (areas dorsal to the principal sulcus) and areas 8 and 6, whereas the anterior part of the STs area receives fibers from the inferior frontal convexity (areas ventral to the principal sulcus) and the frontal pole (area FD). The principal sulcus sends fibers to the entire STs area except for its ventral wall of the posterior part. A small cortical area adjacent to the inferior ramus of the arcuate sulcus (area 45 of ref. 41) sends fibers to the entire STs area. In addition, the orbitofrontal cortex projects mainly to the rostral part of the STs area, and the parahippocampal gyrus (areas TF and TH) projects to the deeper part of the entire STs area.     

Projections from the cortex of the superior temporal sulcus to the dorsal lateral geniculate and pregeniculate nuclei in the macaque monkey

Cortical projections from the visual region and adjacent polysensory region of the superior temporal sulcus (STs) to the lateral geniculate body (LGb) were investigated in the macaque monkey using an autoradiographic tracing method. Solutions of tritiated aminoacids were injected into different parts of the caudal half of the STs of five animals. A survival time of 7 days was allowed. Labels were found in both subdivisions of the LGb: the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (DLGn) and the pregeniculate nucleus (PGn). In particular, part of the visual cortical region adjacent to the middle temporal area (MT) projects into the DLGn as well as the PGn, whereas the MT itself and the superior temporal polysensory region project into the PGn only. Afferents to the DLGn terminate in the magnocellular layers and in their adjoining interlaminar zones, completely sparing the parvocellular layers. Afferents to the PGn terminate in separate regions of this nucleus; the MT and adjacent visual cortices project into the internal layer of the PGn, whereas the polysensosy region of the STs projects into the external retinorecipient layer of the PGn. Possible functional implications of these projections are discussed.     

Projections from cortical visual areas of the superior temporal sulcus to the superior colliculus, in macaque monkeys.

1. The distribution of tectal projections of two visual areas of the superior temporal sulcus (MT and MST areas) has been studied, in five Macaca fascicularis, by means of the autoradiographic method tracing the anterograde transport of tritiated aminoacids intracortically injected. 2. In all cases the ipsilateral superior colliculi (SC) were found labelled, whereas the contralateral ones were devoid of label. 3. The three brains injected in the MT area resulted in SC labels that involved the superficial gray layer (SGS), the stratum opticum (SO) and the intermediate gray layer (SGI), sparing the layers below SGI. 4. The collicular labels found after injections within the MST area exhibited their distribution over the deep SC subdivision, whereas they spared all the superficial layers but the deep part of the SO. 5. In two animals with large uptake zones, one in MT and the other in MST, the labelling within the SGI showed a cluster-like pattern. 6. The distinct found bulk of projections of MT and MST respectively to the superficial and deep subdivisions of the SC, along with a number of peculiar connections of the MST area as mentioned in the text, contribute to depict an overall neural network in which MST appears to be more strongly involved than MT in linking sensory visual with oculomotor attentive functions.     

Principal neurons projecting to the pineal gland in close association with small intensely fluorescent cells in the superior cervical ganglion of rats

Summary The localization in the superior cervical ganglia (SCG) of small, intensely fluorescent (SIF) cells and of principal nerve (PN) cells innervating the pineal gland was examined in adult male Sprague-Dawley rats. PN cells were demonstrated by means of the retrograde neuron-tracing method using the fluorescent tracer Fluoro-Gold (FG) injected into the pineal gland. SIF cells were visualized by the formaldehyde-induced fluorescence method. Twentynine percent of the FG-labeled PN cells were found closely associated with SIF cells. In the rostral half of the ganglion, 43% of the SIF cells were situated in juxtaposition to one or several labeled neurons. The possible influence of SIF cells on the regulation of pineal metabolism is discussed with respect to their role as both local endocrine cells and interneurons.     

Dopamine and noradrenaline neurons projecting to the septal area in the rat

Summary The organisation of the catecholamine innervation of the rat septal area was investigated by means of the glyoxylic acid fluorescence method in combination with dopamine uptake studies, lesions and retrograde tracing of horseradish peroxidase. The following catecholamine systems to the septum could be established:The Locus Coeruleus Noradrenergic System These axons are widespread in the septum forming a moderately dense innervation in the anterior hippocampus, the medial septal nucleus, the nucleus of the diagonal band, and the interstitial nucleus of the stria terminalis, and a sparse innervation in the lateral septal nucleus and the septofimbrial nucleus.The Medulla Oblongata Noradrenergic System This system originates in the Al, A2 or A3 cell groups, the axons forming a very dense innervation in the ventral part of the interstitial nucleus of the stria terminalis, a moderately dense innervation in the nucleus of the diagonal band and lateral septal nucleus, and a sparse innervation in the medial septal nucleus, the septofimbrial nucleus and the dorsal part of the interstitial nucleus of the stria terminalis.The Mesencephalic Dopaminergic System This system originates in the medial part of the A10 cell group, the axons forming two distinct terminal patterns. In the first type, smooth axons form pericellular arrangements around non-fluorescent neurons in the lateral septal nucleus. The second type is formed by fine-varicose axons which form a dense band around the fornix in the medial part of the lateral septal nucleus.The Incerto-Hypothalamic Dopaminergic System These axons most probably originate in cell bodies of the diencephalic A11, A13 and A14 cell groups, and are found in the lateral septal nucleus at the level of the anterior commissure.     

An ecological study of a small New Zealand stream with particular reference to the Oligochaeta

The composition, temporal and spatial distribution, and productivity of profundal benthos were investigated in a Colorado Front Range reservoir which impounds water diverted from the Western Slope of the Rocky Mountains. Horsetooth Reservoir, 10.6 km × 1.0 km, consists of three basins with depths greater than 50 m connected by two equalizing channels ca. 30 m deep. Water quality parameters did not vary significantly between sites, but temperature, pH, and dissolved oxygen varied seasonally. The composition and organic content of sediment exhibited a gradient from inlet to outlet which significantly influenced faunal density and distribution patterns. Although 28 genera of macroinvertebrates were collected, the oligochaetes Tubifex tubifex (Müller) and Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri Claparède comprised 97.6% of the total organisms. Chironomids comprised 2.2%. The relative contribution of chironomids to total biomass decreased with increasing depth; the reverse was true for oligochaetes. Mean annual density ranged from 3,827 to 51,901 total organisms/m² for six sampling sites. Mean annual biomass varied from 0.16 to 2.3 g ash-free dry wt/m². Annual turnover ratios ranged from 3.6 to 4.5. Annual production estimates varied from 7.2 to 82.8 kg/ha ash-free dry weight, averaging 39.3 kg/ha or 26.9 kcal/m².     

Leptin differentially regulates NPY and POMC neurons projecting to the lateral hypothalamic area.

Recent studies have reinforced the view that the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA) regulates food intake and body weight. We identified leptin-sensitive neurons in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus (Arc) that innervate the LHA using retrograde tracing with leptin administration. We found that retrogradely labeled cells in the Arc contained neuropeptide Y (NPY) mRNA or proopiomelanocortin (POMC) mRNA. Following leptin administration, NPY cells in the Arc did not express Fos but expressed suppressor of cytokine signaling-3 (SOCS-3) mRNA. In contrast, leptin induced both Fos and SOCS-3 expression in POMC neurons, many of which also innervated the LHA. These findings suggest that leptin directly and differentially engages NPY and POMC neurons that project to the LHA, linking circulating leptin and neurons that regulate feeding behavior and body weight homeostasis.     

An ecological study of an Antarctic freshwater pool with particular reference to Tardigrada and Rotifera

Deep Lake Tarn is a small pool in the Vestfold Hills, Antarctica, which freezes solid seasonally. When free water is present, rotifers, tardigrades, nematodes, protozoans and bacteria are active and are mainly associated with an algal mat composed of cyanophytes, chlorophytes chrysophytes and a pyrrophyte.Hypsibius arcticus (Murray) (Tardigrada) reached a maximum density of 470 individuals per g wet weight of algal mat and individuals took about three months to reach full size. A new species ofIsohypsibius was recorded and will be described elsewhere. Tardigrades overwintered in their cryptobiotic state. The population density of bdelloid rotifers changed cyclically, peaking at three-weekly intervals during summer. They also overwintered in their cryptobiotic state.Monogonont rotifers appeared only in summer and species succession occurred. They are thought to overwinter as resting eggs. Two bdelloid rotifers,Macrotrachela quadricornifera (Milne) andMniobia russeola (Zelinka) and one monogonont rotiferPtygura sp., are new records for continental Antarctica.     

Separate coding of different gaze directions in the superior temporal sulcus and inferior parietal lobule

Electrophysiological recording in the anterior superior temporal sulcus (STS) of monkeys has demonstrated separate cell populations responsive to direct and averted gaze. Human functional imaging has demonstrated posterior STS activation in gaze processing, particularly in coding the intentions conveyed by gaze, but to date has provided no evidence of dissociable coding of different gaze directions. Because the spatial resolution typical of group-based fMRI studies (approximately 6-10 mm) exceeds the size of cellular patches sensitive to different facial characteristics (1-4 mm in monkeys), a more sensitive technique may be required. We therefore used fMRI adaptation, which is considered to offer superior resolution, to investigate whether the human anterior STS contains representations of different gaze directions, as suggested by non-human primate research. Subjects viewed probe faces gazing left, directly ahead, or right. Adapting to leftward gaze produced a reduction in BOLD response to left relative to right (and direct) gaze probes in the anterior STS and inferior parietal cortex; rightward gaze adaptation produced a corresponding reduction to right gaze probes. Consistent with these findings, averted gaze in the adapted direction was misidentified as direct. Our study provides the first human evidence of dissociable neural systems for left and right gaze.     

Cortical potentials associated with vocalization in the rhesus monkey.

Cortical potentials associated with vocalization have been investigated in two rhesus monkeys. In both animals a slow negative potential shift beginning approximately 1 sec prior to the onset of vocalization has been observed in transcortical recordings from precentral areas. It is suggested that this slow potential change might be the phylogenetic antecedent of the voluntary control of speech in humans.     

Auditory modulation of the inferior temporal cortex neurons in rhesus monkey

We performed a systematic study to check whether neurons in the area TE (the anterior part of inferotemporal cortex) in rhesus monkey, regarded as the last stage of the ventral visual pathway, could be modulated by auditory stimuli. Two fixating rhesus monkeys were presented with visual, auditory or combined audiovisual stimuli while neuronal responses were recorded. We have found that the visually sensitive neurons are also modulated by audiovisual stimuli. This modulation is manifested as the change of response rate. Our results have shown also that the visual neurons were responsive to the sole auditory stimuli. Therefore, the concept of inferotemporal cortex unimodality in information processing should be re-evaluated.     

Cortical integration in the visual system of the macaque monkey: large-scale morphological differences in the pyramidal neurons in the occipital, parietal and temporal lobes.

Layer III pyramidal neurons were injected with Lucifer yellow in tangential cortical slices taken from the inferior temporal cortex (area TE) and the superior temporal polysensory (STP) area of the macaque monkey. Basal dendritic field areas of layer III pyramidal neurons in area STP are significantly larger, and their dendritic arborizations more complex, than those of cells in area TE. Moreover, the dendritic fields of layer III pyramidal neurons in both STP and TE are many times larger and more complex than those in areas forming 'lower' stages in cortical visual processing, such as the first (V1), second (V2), fourth (V4) and middle temporal (MT) visual areas. By combining data on spine density with those of Sholl analyses, we were able to estimate the average number of spines in the basal dendritic field of layer III pyramidal neurons in each area. These calculations revealed a 13-fold difference in the number of spines in the basal dendritic field between areas STP and V1 in animals of similar age. The large differences in complexity of the same kind of neuron in different visual areas go against arguments for isopotentiality of different cortical regions and provide a basis that allows pyramidal neurons in temporal areas TE and STP to integrate more inputs than neurons in more caudal visual areas.