Projections of individual Purkinje cells of identified zones in the ventral nodulus to the vestibular and cerebellar nuclei in the rabbit.
The projections of Purkinje cells from zones in the ventral nodulus of pigmented rabbits were studied with the use of extracellularly injected biocytin as an anterograde tracer. The zones were physiologically identified according to the complex spike modulation of Purkinje cells in response to optokinetic stimulation. Purkinje cells in the most medial zone do not respond to optokinetic stimulation; they project to the fastigial nucleus, the perifastigial white matter, the periinterposed white matter, and the medial vestibular nucleus. In the adjacent zone, Purkinje cells respond best to optokinetic stimulation about the vertical axis; they project to the periinterposed white matter and the medial vestibular nucleus. Purkinje cells in the next zone respond best to optokinetic stimulation about an axis approximately perpendicular to the ipsilateral anterior canal; they project to the periinterposed white matter, dorsal group y, the superior vestibular nucleus, and the medial vestibular nucleus. In the most lateral zone, Purkinje cells respond best to optokinetic stimulation about the vertical axis; they project to the periinterposed white matter, dorsal group y, and the medial vestibular nucleus. The majority of axons gave off collaterals and innervated more than one nucleus. Often, three or four different areas received terminals from a single Purkinje cell axon. The zonal projection pattern of the ventral nodulus is compared to that of the flocculus, which, with respect to the visual climbing fiber afferents, has similar zones.
Department of Physiology and Biophysics, New York University Medical Center, New York 10016.
D R
DR
Wylie
C I
CI
De Zeeuw
P L
PL
DiGiorgi
J I
JI
Simpson
D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000502:physiology; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002529:Cerebellar Nuclei / Q000502:physiology*; D008239:Lysine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D011689:Purkinje Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D011817:Rabbits / Q000502:physiology*; D014726:Vestibular Nuclei / Q000502:physiology*
C013411:biocytin; D008239:Lysine