Thalamic terminal fields of individual axons from the ventral part of the dentate nucleus of the cerebellum in Macaca mulatta

This study examined organization of the projection from the dentate nucleus of the cerebellum to the ventral lateral nucleus (VL) of the thalamus in M acaca mulatta. Small injections of biotinylated dextran amine were placed i n the ventral parts of dentate nuclei. The distribution of all contralatera l terminal fields in the thalamus was charted, and representative individua l axons that terminated in the VL were traced in serial sections under the light microscope. These axons were reconstructed with all their branches an d terminal fields in the thalamus. The geometry and size of the terminal fi elds as well as the number and distribution of boutons and neurons in them were analyzed. The terminal fields of all labeled axons were distributed wi dely over the VL either singly or in clusters. Two types of axons were foun d: simple axons formed only one terminal field and complex axons formed mul tiple terminal fields at a distance. Individual terminal fields were focal, had the form of flattened discs, and generated up to 200 boutons distribut ed between 10 and 29 nerve cell bodies. These findings suggest that a simpl e axon activates a small group of neurons at one site. The complex axons, i n turn, influence similar size cell groups at different VL locations. The t otal number of boutons generated by a single complex axon was up to 300. Fu ture studies should determine whether simple axons could be branches of com plex axons that took off below the thalamus. The results reveal a complex o rganization of the input from the ventral dentate to the VL that only parti ally fits into the traditional concept of somatotopic organization of the n ucleus. (C) 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.