Neuroanatomical pathways linking vision and olfaction in mammals

Abstract

Retinal projections to several telencephalic structures have been demonstrated in a wide range of mammalian species following intraocular injections of tritiated amino acids and cholera toxin subunit-B conjugated to horseradish peroxidase. Since these regions are also innervated by olfactory fibers, we investigated the distribution of convergent projections using simultaneous injections of different anterograde tracers in the eye and olfactory bulbs. Convergent projections from the retina and from the olfactory bulbs were observed in the piriform cortex, olfactory tubercle, the cortical region of the medial amygdala, lateral hypothalamus, and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. A few retinal fibers also invade the nucleus of the lateral olfactory tract, the bed nucleus of the accessory olfactory bulb and the diagonal band of Broca. Injections of retrograde tracers in the medial amygdala, the bed nucleus or the lateral hypothalamus shows that the visuo-olfactory convergence mainly involves projections originating from the accessory olfactory bulb, and to a lesser extent from the ventromedial region of the main olfactory bulb. Fewer than 20 retinotelencephalic ganglion cells were identified in the retina, mainly located contralateral to the injection site. Ganglion cells were medium sized and possessed two long slender opposing dendrites. These retinal and olfactory projections could provide an anatomical substrate for the modulation of gonadotropin hormone levels and the olfactory influence on light mediated rhythms related to reproductive physiology.