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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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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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00389593