Factors guiding regenerating retinotectal fibres in the frog Xenopus laevis

Abstract

I have examined the pathways of retinotectal fibres regenerating back to the contralateral tectum, and also to innervated and 'virgin' ipsilateral tecta in postmetamorphic Xenopus. The fibres were visualized by HRP labelling of either the whole optic nerve, or a selected quadrant of the retina. Most fibres grow into either the ipsilateral or contralateral optic tract, although a small proportion go down the outside of the contralateral optic nerve. In the tracts, many fibres grow superficially, close beneath the pia, but a variable proportion runs more deeply. Axonal growth is not, therefore, restricted absolutely to the subpial region in the postmetamorphic Xenopus brain. Fibres growing onto the contralateral, or a 'virgin' tectum mostly grow straight onto the rostral margin of the tectal lobe, without growing around its margin in the form of a medial or lateral brachium. Most of these fibres grow through the deeper part of the tectal layer which normally contains optic neuropil, but a proportion of them grow immediately deep to the pia. Fibres regenerating to an innervated ipsilateral tectum mostly enter either the medial or lateral brachium of the optic tract, and only leave this close to their site of termination. In the brachia the fibres run superficially under the pia, but when they leave the brachia they mostly run through the deeper retinorecipient layers. These observations provide further evidence that ingrowing optic fibres have their pathways influenced by the axons which have preceded them.