title: Direct retinal communication with the peri-amygdaloid area.
abstract: Retinal projections to the basal forebrain in male Syrian hamsters were examined at the ultrastructural level following bilateral intraocular injections of horseradish peroxidase conjugated to either cholera toxin (CT-HRP) or wheat germ agglutinin (WGA-HRP). Light level microscopic analysis confirmed retinal projections along basal telencephalon, and examination on the electron microscope of individual fibers from the peri-amygdaloid area revealed en passant synaptic profiles. Sections from animals treated with WGA-HRP showed evidence of transsynaptic communication in the form of labeled dendrites in the peri-amygdaloid area. Taken together, these data show that the retina communicates directly with the periamygdaloid area, where photic and chemosensory information may be integrated to modulate reproductive behavior.
authors.affiliation: Dept of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing 48224, USA.
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Elliott
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Nunez
mesh_terms: D000679:Amygdala / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D002772:Cholera Toxin; D006224:Cricetinae; D006735:Horseradish Peroxidase; D008297:Male; D008647:Mesocricetus; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000502:physiology*; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D016548:Prosencephalon / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012160:Retina / Q000502:physiology*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology; D018998:Wheat Germ Agglutinin-Horseradish Peroxidase Conjugate; D014909:Wheat Germ Agglutinins
chemical_list: D018998:Wheat Germ Agglutinin-Horseradish Peroxidase Conjugate; D014909:Wheat Germ Agglutinins; C052635:cholera toxin, B subunit-horseradish peroxidase; D002772:Cholera Toxin; D006735:Horseradish Peroxidase