The fine structure of serotonin and tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactive terminals in the ventral posterior thalamic nucleus of cat and monkey.

Immunocytochemical methods have been combined with serial thin section analysis to study the synaptic organization of serotonin (5-HT) and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunoreactive terminals in the ventral posterior nucleus of the cat and monkey thalamus. One hundred 5-HT immunoreactive terminals from the cat and approximately forty 5-HT and TH immunoreactive terminals from the monkey were selected for analysis in serial thin sections. Only 7-10% of the immunoreactive terminals could be revealed to form conventional synaptic contacts. Most of these could be identified as the asymmetrical type. Dendritic shafts belonging to relay neurons were the major targets of these monoamine immunoreactive terminals. The remainder made intimate membrane associations with relay cell dendrites and somata or with presynaptic dendrites of interneurons, but no overt membrane specializations could be detected. The present results suggest that the modulation of thalamocortical relay function by brainstem monoamine pathways in the somatosensory thalamus may occur by release of transmitters at atypical contact sites.