Monosynaptic inputs to specific cell types of the intermediate and deep layers of the superior colliculus

The intermediate and deep layers of the midbrain superior colliculus (SC) are a key locus for several critical functions, including spatial attention, multisensory integration, and behavioral responses. While the SC is known to integrate input from a variety of brain regions, progress in understanding how these inputs contribute to SC-dependent functions has been hindered by the paucity of data on innervation patterns to specific types of SC neurons. Here, we use G-deleted rabies virus-mediated monosynaptic tracing to identify inputs to excitatory and inhibitory neurons of the intermediate and deep SC. We observed stronger and more numerous projections to excitatory than inhibitory SC neurons. However, a subpopulation of excitatory neurons thought to mediate behavioral output received weaker inputs, from far fewer brain regions, than the overall population of excitatory neurons. Additionally, extrinsic inputs tended to target rostral excitatory and inhibitory SC neurons more strongly than their caudal counterparts, and commissural SC neurons tended to project to similar rostrocaudal positions in the other SC. Our findings support the view that active intrinsic processes are critical to SC-dependent functions, and will enable the examination of how specific inputs contribute to these functions.