Ultrastructure and synaptic connectivity of cell types in the adult rat dentate gyrus

The rat hippocampal dentate gyrus is an extensively studied structural component of the limbic system. It is the first station in the classical tri-synaptic circuit of the hippocampus in that its major input arises from the entorhinal cortex via the perforant pathway. The second part of this circuit arises from the projection cells of the dentate gyrus, the granule cells, which send their axons to the pyramidal cells of CA3. Within the dentate gyrus, there also is an extensive inhibitory network of cells that are involved in synchronizing the rhythmic firing of the granule cells. This chapter provides a review of the ultrastructural features and synaptic connectivity of both projection cells and local circuit neurons in the dentate gyrus.