Summary
The terminals of retinal afferents in the tectum of the axolotl have been identified ultrastructurally using techniques of horseradish peroxidase-filling and degeneration. The mitochondria in filled structures show a characteristic electron-lucent matrix. After both eyes have been removed, terminals with light mitochondria disappear from the area known to receive an optic input. In this area the presence of light mitochondria is almost always diagnostic of the retinal origin of a bouton. The synapses are similar to those assumed to be of retinal origin in other vertebrates. Detailed morphometric analysis has been carried out on identified optic synapses in the optic tectum of the axolotl.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
AkertK, Pfenniger K, Sandri C, Moor H (1972) Freeze etching and cytochemistry of vesicles and membrane complexes in synapses of the central nervous system. In: GD Pappas and DP Purpura (eds) Structure and function of synapses. Raven Press, New York, pp 67–86
Angaut P, Repérant J (1976) Fine structure of the optic fibre termination layers in pigeon optic tectum: A Golgi and E.M. study. Neurosci 1:93–105
Colonnier M (1968) Synaptic patterns on different cell types in the different laminae of the cat visual cortex. An electron microscopic study. Brain Res 9:268–287
Cullen MJ, Kaiserman-Abramof IR (1976) Cytological organization of the dorsal lateral geniculate nuclei in mutant, anophthalmic, and postnatally enucleated mice. J Neurocytol 5:407–424
Gray EG (1959) Axo-somatic and axo-dendritic synapses of the cerebral cortex: an electron microscope study. J Anat (Lond) 93:420–432
Gruberg ER (1969) Functional organization of the tectum of the tiger salamander Ambystoma tigrinum. PhD Thesis, University of Illinois Urbana Ill
Güldner F-H (1978a) Synapses of optic nerve afferents in the rat suprachiasmatic nucleus. I. Identification, qualitative description, development and distribution. Cell Tissue Res 194:17–35
Güldner F-H (1978b) Synapses of optic nerve afferents in the rat suprachiasmatic nucleus. II. Structural variability as revealed by morphometric examination. Cell Tissue Res 194:37–54
Guillery RW, Colonnier M (1970) Synaptic patterns in the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus of the monkey. Z Zellforsch 103:90–108
Guillery RW, Updyke BV (1976) Retinofugal pathways in normal and albino axolotls. Brain Res 109:235–244
Hayes BP, Webster KE (1975) An electron microscope study of the retino-receptive layers of the pigeon optic tectum. J Comp Neurol 162:447–466
Herrick CJ (1942) Optic and postoptic systems in the brain of Ambystoma tigrinum. J Comp Neurol 77:191–353
Herrick CJ (1948) The brain of the tiger salamander Ambystoma tigrinum. University of Chicago Press
Ingham CA, Güldner F-H (1980) Constant occurrence of an ipsilateral retino-tectal projection in the axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) revealed by horseradish peroxidase tracing. Neurosci Lett 17:17–22
Laufer M, Vanegas H (1974) The optic tectum of a perciform teleost II. Fine structure. J Comp Neurol 154:61–96
Le Vay S (1971) On neurons and synapses of the lateral geniculate nucleus of the monkey and the effects of eye enucleation. Z Zellforsch 113:396–419
Lewis PR, Knight DP (1977) Staining methods for sectioned material. In: AM Glauert (ed) Practical methods in electron microscopy, V 5, Pt 1. North-Holland, Amsterdam New York Oxford, pp 45–46
Lieberman AR, Webster KE (1974) Aspects of the synaptic organization of intrinsic neurons in the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus. J Neurocytol 3:677–710
Lund RD (1969) Synaptic patterns of the superficial layers of the superior colliculus of the rat. J Comp Neurol 135:179–208
Lund RD (1972) Synaptic patterns in the superficial layers of the superior colliculus of the monkey Macaca mulatta. Exp Brain Res 15:194–211
Marotte LR, Mark RF (1975) Ultrastructural localization of synaptic input to the optic lobe of Carp (Carassius carassius). Exp Neurol 49:722–789
Mathers LHJnr (1977) Retinal and visual cortical projection to the superior colliculus of the rabbit. Exp Neurol 57:698–712
Palay SL, Chan-Palay V (1975) A guide to the synaptic analysis of the neuropile. In: The Synapse. Cold Spring Harb Quant Biol 40:1–16
Potter HD (1969) Structural characteristics of cell and fiber populations in the optic tectum of the frog (Rana catesbeiana). J Comp Neurol 136:203–232
Reynolds ES (1963) The use of lead citrate of high pH as an electron-opaque stain in electron microscopy. J Cell Biol 17:208–213
Robson JA, Mason CA (1979) The synaptic organization of terminals traced from individual labelled retino-geniculate axons in the cat. Neurosci 4:99–111
Sterling P (1971) Receptive fields and synaptic organization of the superficial gray layer of the cat superior colliculus. Vision Res 11: (Suppl 3) 309–328
Székely G, Lázár G (1976) Cellular and synaptic architecture of the optic tectum. In: R Llinás and W Precht (eds) Frog Neurobiology. Springer Verlag, New York Heidelberg Berlin, pp 407–434
Székely G, Sétáló G, Lázár G (1973) Fine structure of frogs optic tectum: optic fibre termination layers. J Hirnforsch 14:189–225
Szentágothai J (1973) Neuronal and synaptic architecture of the lateral geniculate nucleus. In: R Jung (ed) Handbook of sensory physiology, Volume VII/3B. Springer Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 141–176
Szentágothai J, Hámori J, Tömböl T (1966) Degeneration and electron microscope analysis of the synaptic glomeruli in the lateral geniculate body. Exp Brain Res 2:283–301
Williams MA (1977) Quantitative methods in biology. In: AM Glauert (ed) Practical methods in electron microscopy, 6, II. North Holland, Amsterdam, p 52
Yamada H (1974) Light and electron microscope analysis of the medial terminal nucleus of the accessory optic system in the mouse. J Mikrosk Anat Forsch 88:997–1017
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ingham, C.A., Güldner, F.H. Identification and morphometric evaluation of the synapses of optic nerve afferents in the optic tectum of the axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum). Cell Tissue Res. 214, 593–611 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00233499
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00233499