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Neocortical layers I and II of the hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus)

II. Thalamo-cortical connections

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Summary

This study examines the thalamo-cortical projections to the most superficial neocortical layers in the hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) after small injections of horseradish peroxidase and horseradish peroxidase conjugated to wheat germ agglutinin in the somato-sensory cortex. The injections were limited to layers I, II and upper parts of layer III/IV. Retrogradely labeled cells were plotted in serial sections through the thalamus. Injections in the somato-sensory cortex gave a pattern of elongated columns of labeled cells, extending rostro-caudally in the nucleus ventralis thalami. In the neocortex, labeled fibers extended for considerable distances running horizontally in layer I. Complementary observations demonstrate the thalamic origin of certain, coarse ascending bundles observed previously in Golgi preparations of the hedgehog. It is concluded that a major cortical input to layer I originates in the hedgehog in the principal thalamic (relay) nuclei. After injections in the somato-sensory cortex, retrogradely labeled cells were also found in the nucleus ventro-medialis thalami and very few in a zone medial to the nucleus ventralis thalami corresponding to the intralaminar thalamic nuclei. The contributions of this latter system seem to be limited in comparison with other mammals.

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Abbreviations

A :

hucleus amygdaloideus

Abol :

bulbus olfactorius accessorius

Al :

nucleus amygdaloideus lateralis

Am :

nucleus anterior medialis thalami

Av :

nucleus anterior ventralis thalami

Bol :

bulbus olfactorius

Bst :

nucleus interstitialis striae terminalis

Ca :

commissura anterior

Cc :

corpus callosum

Cen :

cortex entorhinalis

Ch :

Chiasma opticum

Ci :

capsula interna

Cp :

commissura posterior

Cpu :

nucleus caudatus putamen

Cs :

colliculus superior

Fmp :

fasciculus medialis prosencephali

Fmt :

fasciculus mamillothalamicus

For :

formatio reticularis

Fr :

fasciculus retroflexus

Fx :

columna fornicis

Gd :

gyrus dentatus

Gla :

nucleus geniculatus lateralis, pars dorsalis

Glv :

nucleus geniculatus lateralis, pars ventralis

Gm :

nucleus geniculatus medialis

Ha :

nucleus anterior hypothalami

Hb :

nucleus habenulae

Hdv :

nucleus dorsomedialis hypothalami

Hia :

hippocampus, pars anterior

Hip :

hippocampus

Hl :

nucleus lateralis hypothalami

Hvm :

nucleus ventromedialis hypothalami

Lm :

lemniscus medialis

Noa :

nucleus olfactorius anterior

Npm :

nucleus preopticus medialis

Ped :

crus cerebri

Pf :

nucleus parafascicularis

Pre :

pretectum

Pt :

nucleus paratenialis

Pv :

nucleus periventricularis

R :

nucleus reticularis thalami

Rcn :

regio cingularis (Brodmann)

Re :

nucleus reuniens

Rhi :

regio hippocampica (Brodmann)

Re :

nucleus reuniens

Rhi :

regio hippocampica (Brodmann)

Ro :

regio occipitalis (Brodmann)

Rol :

regio olfactoria (Brodmann)

Rpc :

regio precentralis (Brodmann)

Rrs :

regio retrosplenialis (Brodmann)

Rt :

regio temporalis (Brodmann)

Rti :

radiatio thalamica

Rt :

regio temporalis (Brodmann)

Rti :

radiatio thalamica

Rtn :

regio insularis (Brodmann)

S :

subiculum

Sf :

sulcus frontalis

Sm :

stria medullaris thalami

Sn :

substantia nigra

Srh :

sulcus rhinalis

St :

stria terminalis

Td :

tractus diagonalis (Broca)

Tl :

nucleus lateralis thalami

Tlp :

nucleus lateralis thalami, pars posterior

Tm :

nucleus medialis thalami

To :

tractus opticus

Tol :

tractus olfactorius lateralis

Tuo :

tuberculum olfactorium

Tv :

nucleus ventralis thalami

Tvd :

nucleus ventralis thalami, pars dorsalis

Tvm :

nucleus ventromedialis thalami

wm:

white matter of the cerebral cortex

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratorio de Neuroanatomía Comparada, Instituto de Neurobiología Santiago Ramón y Cajal, E-28006, Madrid, Spain

    F. Valverde, J. A. de Carlos & L. López-Mascaraque

  2. Departamento de Anatomía, Facultad de Medicina, Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, E-48940, Leioa, Spain

    F. Doñate-Oliver

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  1. F. Valverde
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  2. J. A. de Carlos
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  3. L. López-Mascaraque
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  4. F. Doñate-Oliver
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Valverde, F., de Carlos, J.A., López-Mascaraque, L. et al. Neocortical layers I and II of the hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus). Anat Embryol 175, 167–179 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00389593

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