Subplate pioneers and the formation of descending connections from cerebral cortex

The adult cerebral cortex extends axons to a variety of subcortical targets, including the thalamus and superior colliculus. These descending projections are pioneered during development by the axons of a transient population of subplate neurons (McConnell et al., 1989). We show here that the descen...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of neuroscience 1994-04, Vol.14 (4), p.1892-1907
Main Authors: McConnell, SK, Ghosh, A, Shatz, CJ
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Afferent Pathways - anatomy & histology
Afferent Pathways - physiology
Animals
Animals, Newborn
Axonal Transport
Axons - physiology
Axons - ultrastructure
Carbocyanines
Cats
Cerebral Cortex - anatomy & histology
Cerebral Cortex - physiology
Efferent Pathways - anatomy & histology
Efferent Pathways - physiology
Fetus
Fluorescent Dyes
Mammalia
Models, Neurological
Neurons - cytology
Neurons - physiology
Temporal Lobe - anatomy & histology
Temporal Lobe - physiology
Thalamus - anatomy & histology
Thalamus - physiology
Visual Cortex - anatomy & histology
Visual Cortex - physiology
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Summary:The adult cerebral cortex extends axons to a variety of subcortical targets, including the thalamus and superior colliculus. These descending projections are pioneered during development by the axons of a transient population of subplate neurons (McConnell et al., 1989). We show here that the descending axons of cortical plate neurons appear to be delayed significantly in their outgrowth, compared with those of subplate neurons. To assess the possible role of subplate neurons in the formation of these pathways, subplate neurons were ablated during the embryonic period. In all cases, an axon pathway formed from visual cortex through the internal capsule and into the thalamus. In half of all cases, however, cortical axons failed to invade their normal subcortical targets. In the other half, targets were innervated normally. Subplate neurons are therefore likely to provide important cues that aid the process by which cortical axons grow toward, select, and invade their subcortical targets.
ISSN:0270-6474
1529-2401
DOI:10.1523/jneurosci.14-04-01892.1994