Retinal transplants can drive a pupillary reflex in host rat brains.
Retinae taken from embryonic rats were transplanted over the midbrain of neonatal rats, from whom one eye had been removed. After 5 months, the optic nerve of the remaining eye was cut, and the transplant was exposed. Illumination of the transplant caused pupilloconstriction of the host eye, a response abolished by damaging the transplant. Thus neural transplants are capable of driving specific reflexes in response to natural stimuli.
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D009900:Optic Nerve / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D012025:Reflex, Pupillary; D012160:Retina / Q000637:transplantation*; D013477:Superior Colliculi / Q000502:physiology