Abstract
In three species of Australian rodents, Notomys alexis, Pseudomys australis and Rattus villosissimus, primary optic centres were mapped by observing the distribution of autoradiographic label in the brain following injection of one eye with 3H-proline or 3H-leucine. Five regions receive a primary optic input in the three species: the lateral geniculate complex, the pretectum, the superior colliculus, the hypothalamus and the three terminal nuclei of the accessory optic system. The retinal projections are generally similar in the three species, except that in N. alexis and P. australis the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (LGNd) is subdivided into two, and the pattern of ipsilateral retinal input to it is similar; but in R. villosissimus the LGNd is not apparently subdivided, and the pattern is slightly different. It is concluded that the pattern of primary optic inputs is likely to be similar in other Australian rodents. Two secondary optic centres were shown in Notomys alexis, using the method of transneuronal transport of 3H-proline. Autoradiographic label was observed in the visual cortex and in the parabigeminal nucleus 20-25 days after eye injection.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 382-393 |
| Number of pages | 25 |
| Journal | Australian Journal of Zoology |
| Volume | 28 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1980 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:We thank Dr Peter Baverstock, Dr Chris Watts and Miss Heather Aslin from the Institute of Medical and Veterinary Science, Adelaide, for considerable assistance with this study. We thank Mr Steve Hewitt for supplying the Notomys alexis and Pseudomys australis and for help with photography. We are grateful to Miss Claire Kempe and Miss Sue Hughes for typing the manuscript. The research was supported by a grant from the Australian Research Grants Committee and from the Flinders University Research Budget.