Ultrastructure of supraspinal dorsal root projections in the toads. I. The obex region.

The ultrastructure of the dorsal column nucleus (DCN) has been investigated at the level of the obex region in normal and experimental toads. Large 'isolated' neurons (greater than 20 micrometer) and clusters of small neurons (less than 20 micrometer) have been identified in this region. Synaptic profiles have been classified into three types: large 'en passant' LR boutons, containing round synaptic vesicles and neurofilaments, small R boutons with round vesicles and F boutons with pleomorphic vesicles. The axon terminals exhibited synaptic contacts with cell somata, with dendrites of varying calibers and with other axons. The terminals involved in the axo-axonic contact were the F boutons which were presynaptic to the LR boutons, thus representing the morphological basis for presynaptic inhibition. Transection of the second dorsal root was performed in order to identify the terminals of the primary afferents to the DCN, after different survival periods (16 h--50 days). Only the LR boutons underwent degeneration, thus representing the central endings of the primary dorsal root afferents. The functional significance of these findings was discussed.