The laminar distribution of cortical connections with the tecto- and cortico-recipient zones in the cat's lateral posterior nucleus

Abstract

The anterograde and retrograde transport of wheat germ agglutinin congugated to horseradish peroxidase was used to examine the laminar organization of cortical connections with the two visual zones that comprise the cat's lateral posterior nucleus. Microelectrophoretic deposits of the tracer into the principal tecto-recipient zone in the medial division of the lateral posterior nucleus revealed reciprocal connections with the following cortical fields: areas 19 and 21a, the medial and lateral banks of the middle suprasylvian sulcus, and the dorsal and ventral banks of the lateral suprasylvian sulcus, which correspond to the dorsal lateral suprasylvian and ventral lateral suprasylvian visual areas of Palmer et al. [(1978) Brain Res. 177, 237-256] and an area in the fundus of the posterior suprasylvian sulcus. In each of these cortical areas two distinct populations of cells were labeled, small pyramidal neurons in layer VI and large pyramidal cells in layer V. Overlying these backfilled cells were two bands of anterograde label, a narrow strip in layer I and a wide band centered in layer IV. Deposits of wheat germ agglutinin conjugated to horseradish peroxidase confined to the striate-recipient zone in the lateral portion of the lateral posterior nucleus resulted in cortical label in areas 17, 18, 19, 20a and b, 21a, the medial and lateral banks of the middle suprasylvian sulcus, the posterior suprasylvian sulcus and in the fundus of the splenial sulcus. In all cortical areas other than 17 and 18, the laminar distribution of label was the same as that found after deposits of the tracer into the medial division of the lateral posterior nucleus. In contrast, areas 17 and 18 contained backfilled cells that were confined to layer V and anterograde label that was restricted to layer I. These findings indicate that the cortical areas that receive a direct projection from the A laminae of the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus maintain a distinct laminar organization of reciprocal connections with the extrageniculate visual thalamus. Conversely, all other visual areas of the cortex share a common pattern of reciprocal connections with both the tecto- and striate-recipient zones of the lateral posterior nucleus.