[An electron microscopic study of the origins of the projections of the first auditory area of the cortex (AI) to the medial geniculate body in cats].

An electron microscope study of retrogradely labelled neurons in layer VI of the primary auditory cortex (AI) after injection of the horseradish peroxidase to the medial geniculate body was carried out in cats. Three-eight synapses (4.6 +/- 0.6 at an average) were revealed on the somata profiles of these retrogradely labelled cortico-geniculate neurons. Synapses occupied 10.8 +/- 1.0% of the somatic profile of cortico-geniculate neurons. Almost all (98.7%) of these axosomatic synapses had symmetrical contacts and were formed by axonal terminals with small elongated synaptic vesicles. HRP retrogradely labelled axonal terminals of geniculo-cortical fibres were revealed in neuropil of layer VI. They contained large round synaptic vesicles and formed asymmetrical synapses, mainly on spines. The role of axo-somatic synapses in regulation of the activity of cortico-geniculate neurons was discussed.