Mize R R, Spencer R F, Horner L H
J Comp Neurol. 1986 Jun 1;248(1):57-73. doi: 10.1002/cne.902480105.
Three physiological classes of retinal ganglion cell project to the cat dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (DLGN). The dorsal laminae A, A1, and magnocellular C receive X and Y retinal input, whereas the ventral parvicellular laminae C1 and C2 receive predominantly W input. We have compared quantitatively the retinal synaptic terminals of the dorsal and ventral laminae to determine whether there are morphological differences in the terminals that correspond to their different response properties. Anterogradely labeled retinal synaptic terminals in all laminae contained pale mitochondria and large, round synaptic vesicles. However, retinal terminals with pale mitochondria varied in size and synaptic organization in different laminae. The terminals in the A laminae were, on average, quite large and made numerous contacts with conventional dendritic profiles and with profiles that themselves contained synaptic vesicles (F2 profiles). The terminals in lamina C that contained pale mitochondria had a smaller overall mean area. Terminals with pale mitochondria in C1 and C2 were almost all small and synapsed with F2 profiles less frequently than did terminals in the A laminae or in lamina C. These results provide quantitative evidence that visual areas receiving W-type retinal input contain smaller retinal terminals and have a different synaptic organization from that of laminae receiving X and Y input.
三类生理特性的视网膜神经节细胞投射到猫的背外侧膝状核（DLGN）。背侧板层A、A1和大细胞层C接收来自视网膜X和Y细胞的输入，而腹侧的小细胞层C1和C2主要接收W细胞的输入。我们已经对背侧和腹侧板层的视网膜突触终末进行了定量比较，以确定这些终末在形态上是否存在差异，这些差异与它们不同的反应特性相对应。所有板层中经顺行标记的视网膜突触终末都含有浅色线粒体和大的圆形突触小泡。然而，含有浅色线粒体的视网膜终末在不同板层中的大小和突触组织有所不同。A板层中的终末平均相当大，并且与传统树突形态以及自身含有突触小泡的形态（F2形态）有大量接触。C板层中含有浅色线粒体的终末总体平均面积较小。C1和C2中含有浅色线粒体的终末几乎都很小，并且与F2形态形成突触的频率低于A板层或C板层中的终末。这些结果提供了定量证据，表明接收W型视网膜输入的视觉区域包含较小的视网膜终末，并且其突触组织与接收X和Y输入的板层不同。
