Plasticity in a central nervous pathway in Xenopus: Anatomical changes in the isthmotectal projection after larval eye rotation

Abstract

In this paper we present evidence that early eye rotation in Xenopus leads to anatomical rearrangements in a portion of the binocular visual system. In the past, electrophysiological mapping had shown that the topography of the ipsilateral visuotectal projection is changed by such eye rotation and that this change requires visual experience. However, knowledge of the anatomical basis for this electrophysiological change was lacking. The identification of the nucleus isthmi as a link in the projection has allowed us to study the topography of the ipsilateral system by use of horseradish peroxidase. We present data showing that early eye rotation alters the topography of the crossed isthmotectal projection. These results demonstrate that the orientation of a topographically organized projection can be changed by procedures which do not involve direct manipulation of the source, pathway, or target of the projection.