The retinal location and fate of ganglion cells which project to the ipsilateral superior colliculus in neonatal albino and hooded rats

Abstract

We have studied the organization of the ipsilateral retinocollicular pathway in neonatal rats by injecting the enzyme horseradish peroxidase (HRP) into the superior colliculus within 24 h of birth and later examining the location of labelled cells in the contralateral and ipsilateral retinac. One day after HRP injection, regardless of the location of the injection site in the superior colliculus, the great majority (over 80%) of ipsilaterally projecting cells was located in the lower peripheral retina. Five days after injection into the posterior pole of the superior colliculus (which in adult animals does not receive input from the ipsilateral retina), there were very few labelled cells in the ipsilateral retina, but labelled cells were quite numerous in the appropriate part of the contralateral retina. These results suggest that in the neonatal rat the great majority of ipsilaterally projecting retinal ganglion cells lie in the same part of the retina as do ipsilaterally projecting cells in the adult, but that many of those cells which project to inappropriate parts of the superior colliculus die by the fifth postnatal day.