The early development of major projections to the dorsal striatum in the North American opossum

We have employed immunocytochemical and axonal transport techniques to study the development of major projections to the dorsal striatum of the North American opossum. The opossum is born in a very immature state, 12-13 days after conception, and climbs into an external pouch where it remains attached to a nipple for several months. Its immaturity at birth and its protracted postnatal development make the opossum a good model for developmental studies. Although tyrosine hydroxylase-like immunoreactive (TH-LI), presumably dopaminergic, neurons were present in the ventral mesencephalon at birth (the presumptive substantia nigra and ventral tegmental area), there was no evidence for TH-LI axons in the striatal anlage. By postnatal day (PD)6, a few immunostained axons were found within the putamen. The subsequent growth of TH-LI axons into the striatum followed general caudal to rostral and ventrolateral to dorsomedial gradients and, at any age, they were most numerous in the areas exhibiting the greatest cytodifferentiation. By estimated (E)PD45, TH-LI axons were present in most, if not all, areas of the striatum. Serotoninergic (5-HT)-LI axons were found lateral to the presumptive striatum at birth but not within it. By PD7, however, a few 5-HT-LI axons could be identified in the putamen. The growth of 5-HT-LI axons into the striatum generally followed the same gradients described for TH-LI axons although at all ages their density was much less. Using the orthograde transport of wheat germ agglutinin conjugated to horseradish peroxidase (WGA-HRP), evidence was obtained for the existence of thalamostriatal projections by PD5 and for corticostriatal projections by PD10. Crossed corticostriatal projections were present by EPD23. Our results suggest that the development of major projections to the striatum occurs postnatally in the opossum, rather than prenatally as in placental animals. The timetable for striatal innervation is discussed in light of the developmental sequences established for other motor circuits.