Elsevier

Neuroscience

Volume 7, Issue 10, October 1982, Pages 2377-2388
Neuroscience

The distribution and some morphological features of substantia nigra neurons that project to the thalamus, superior colliculus and pedunculopontine nucleus in the monkey

https://doi.org/10.1016/0306-4522(82)90202-0Get rights and content

Abstract

Neurons of the substantia nigra's pars reticulata that send axons to the thalamus, superior colliculus and midbrain reticular formation (including the pedunculopontine nucleus) have been revealed in monkeys by the technique of retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase. The populations of nigrothalamic, nigrotectal and nigroreticular neurons differ from one another in their number, intranigral distribution and somatodendritic size and shape. Nigrothalamic cells are the most abundant and, although scattered throughout the mediolateral expanse of the pars reticulata, their numbers progressively diminish from rostral to caudal levels. Nigrotectal cells are least numerous and are restricted almost exclusively to the lateral margin of the rostral one-half of the pars reticulata. Nigroreticular cells, like nigrothalamic, are scattered throughout the mediolateral dimension of the nucleus, but are more commonly located at middle to caudal levels. In addition to their restricted intranigral location, the nigrotectal cells are larger, polygonal and have more major dendritic processes than the smaller nigrothalamic and nigroreticular cells which are usually triangular or fusiform. A small proportion of cells of all three types appears to project contralaterally.

These findings indicate that the efferent organization of the primate pars reticulata differs markedly from that of the rodent18 and the monkey's nigrotectal cells constitute a spatially and morphologically distinct subpopulation within the pars reticulata. These data should be useful in understanding the functional organization of topographic inputs to the pars reticulata such as that from the neostriatum.

Reference (48)

  • GuyenetP.G. et al.

    Antidromic identification of dopaminergic and other output neurons of the rat substantia nigra

    Brain Res.

    (1978)
  • HopkinsD.A. et al.

    Substantia nigra projections to the reticular formation, superior colliculus and central gray in the rat, cat and monkey

    Neuroscience Letters

    (1976)
  • JayaramanA. et al.

    Nigrotectal projections in the monkey

    Brain Res.

    (1977)
  • JohnsonT.N. et al.

    Topographic projections on the globus pallidus and the substantia nigra of selectively-placed lesions in the precommissural caudate nucleus and putamen in the monkey

    Expl Neurol.

    (1971)
  • NautaW.J.H. et al.

    Projections of the lentiform nucleus in the monkey

    Bruin Res.

    (1966)
  • PenneyJ.B. et al.

    GABA as the pallidothalamic neurotransmitter: implications for basal ganglia function

    Brain Res.

    (1981)
  • RinvikE.

    Demonstration of nigrothalamic connections in the cat by retrograde axonal transport of horseradish peroxidase

    Brain Res.

    (1975)
  • RinvikE. et al.

    Demonstration of nigrotectal and nigroreticular projections in the cat by axonal transport of proteins

    Brain Res.

    (1976)
  • SteindlerD.A. et al.

    Anatomical evidence for collateral branching of nigra neurons: a combined horseradish peroxidase and [3H] wheat germ agglutinin axonal transport study in the rat

    Brain Res.

    (1980)
  • SzaboJ.

    Topical distribution of the striatal efferents in the monkey

    Expl Neurol.

    (1962)
  • SzaboJ.

    The efferent projections of the putamen in the monkey

    Expl Neurol.

    (1967)
  • SzaboJ.

    Projections from the body of the caudate nucleus in the rhesus monkey

    Expl Neurol.

    (1970)
  • SzaboJ.

    The course and distribution of efferents from the tail of the caudate nucleus in the monkey

    Expl Neurol.

    (1972)
  • SzaboJ.

    Distribution of striatal afferents from the mesencephalon in the cat

    Brain Res.

    (1980)
  • Cited by (115)

    • The Substantia Nigra Pars Reticulata

      2016, Handbook of Behavioral Neuroscience
      Citation Excerpt :

      Combined tracing, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural studies show that the nigrocollicular synapse is of symmetric type and GABA-positive, indicating a GABAergic synapse (Behan et al., 1982; Tsumori and Yasui, 1997; Williams and Faull, 1988). Tracing studies have also established that SNr neurons project to the PRF in rodents, cats, and monkeys (Beckstead, 1983; Beckstead and Frankfurter, 1982; Cebrián et al., 2005; Nishimura et al., 1997; Tokuno et al., 1990). This projection is more diffuse and less well understood than the nigrothalamic and nigrocollicular projections, although evidence indicates that it may contribute to locomotion and posture control and the regulation of sleep (Takakusaki et al., 2004, 2008).

    View all citing articles on Scopus
    View full text