The hippocampal mossy fiber system of the rat studied with retrograde tracing techniques. Correlation between topographic organization and neurogenetic gradients.

The topographical organization of the hippocampal mossy fiber system, which connects the dentate granule cells with the pyramidal cells of the regio inferior, has been examined in rats with retrograde tracing methods. Following the application of the fluorescent dye True Blue to different parts of the mossy fiber layer in the hippocampal regio inferior, retrogradely labeled granule cells were observed in the dentate fascia. The distribution of the labeled cells within the dentate granule cell layer indicates that all mossy fibers have an almost parallel, slightly descending course in regio inferior near the dentate hilus. In the ventricular part of region inferior, particularly toward the transition to the regio superior, the mossy fibers are sorted out according to the position of their parent cell bodies within the granular layer. Near the transition to regio superior the fibers from lateral granule cells extend both septally and temporally over a longer distance than the fibers from more medial cells. Similarly, the fibers coming from the superficial cells extend both septally and temporally over a longer distance than those from the deep cells. The mossy fibers arising from a specific septotemporal level of the dentate fascia innervate a segment of the regio inferior that extends approximately 180 micrometer above to approximately 1,600 micrometer below the level of origin. Similar results were obtained following injections of Nuclear Yellow and horseradish peroxidase. Since previous studies have demonstrated that the granule cells are formed along gradients from lateral to medial and from superficial to deep, there appears to be a correlation between the formation, and hence the position, of the granule cells and the topography of their projection into the regio inferior.