Snapshots in Neuroscience: Tree Shrew Visual Thalamus

These images have been selected to showcase the art that neuroscience research can create.

As described by the authors: “This image illustrates the complementary innervation pattern of excitatory axon terminals expressing vesicular glutamate transporter 1 (VGluT1+, green) and 2 (VGluT2+, magenta) in the thalamus of the tree shrew (Tupaia belangeri). The image highlights the selectivity of these axon terminals in six-layered dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN), pulvinar and ventroposterior nuclei, and pretectum.

“To create this image, we performed dual immunolabeling with VGluT1 and VGluT2 antibodies in aldehyde-fixed tree shrew brain sections. The stained thalamic sections were then imaged at 10X using a Leica Stellaris 5 laser scanning confocal microscope.

“In our paper, we dissected the molecular and morphological properties of distinct visual information processing streams in the dLGN using tract-tracing, and immuno-light and electron microscopy. We describe ultrastructural differences between two Konio geniculate layers, confirm that tectogeniculate terminals resemble retinal terminals in their morphology and synaptic targets, and reveal that not all three distinct tectal cells projecting to LGN use VGluT2.”

Confocal image of a coronal section of the tree shrew hemibrain, showing VGluT1 (green) and VGluT2 (magenta) immunostaining in the thalamus. In the almond-shaped dLGN, VGluT2 staining delineates Lamina 1 to 6 and VGluT1 is enriched in the interlaminar zones. Image credit: Arda Kipcak.

Read the full article:

Morphological and Molecular Distinctions of Parallel Processing Streams Reveal Two Koniocellular Pathways in the Tree Shrew DLGN
Francesca Sciaccotta, Arda Kipcak and, Alev Erisir