Tectal transplants into the occipital cortex of the newborn rat

Embryonic day 15 rostral tectum (presumptive superior colliculus) was transplanted into the occipital cortex of newborn rats. One to two months later, the transplants were visualized and injected with either horseradish peroxidase (HRP) or wheat germ agglutinin conjugated with HRP (WGA/HRP). After the appropriate survival time and processing with either diaminobenzidine (DAB) or tetramethylbenzidine tetrahydrochloride (TMB), HRP-labelled pyramidal cells were found in layer V of the host ipsilateral occipital cortex. Thus, the occipitotectal connections are formed between host and graft despite the fact that the fibers must grow in a direction opposite to their normal course to reach the aberrantly positioned tectal graft.