The Entire Trajectories of Single Olivocerebellar Axons in the Cerebellar Cortex and their Contribution to Cerebellar Compartmentalization

摘要: The functional partitioning of the cerebellar cortex depends on projection patterns its afferent and efferent neurons. However, entire morphology individual neurons has been demonstrated in only a few classes vertebrate CNS. To investigate contribution pattern olivocerebellar axons to compartmentalization, we labeled axons, which terminate as climbing fibers, with biotinylated dextran amine injected into inferior olive rat, completely reconstructed trajectories 34 from serial sections cerebellum medulla. Single had seven fibers average, terminated at similar distances midline single or multiple lobules. Cortical areas adjacent olivary were clustered narrow but separate longitudinal segments often innervated by collaterals Comparison distribution arising different sites within subnucleus indicated that slightly distant projected complementary sets such band. Several these bands formed so-called parasagittal zone olive. rostrocaudally band did not project mediolaterally bands. These results suggest fine substructural organization compartmentalization may represent units.