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Immunocytochemical localization of tyrosine hydroxylase in the visual cortex of the microbat, Rhinolophus
Myung-Jun Lee1, Kyung-Min Kwon1, Won-Tae Lee1
1Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, BK21 Plus KNU Creative BioResearch Group, College of Natural Sciences, and Brain Science and Engineering Institute, Kyungpook National University, 41566 Daegu, Korea, Republic Of.
Introduction:
In order to enhance our understanding of bat vision, we investigated tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-immunoreactive (IR) fibers in the visual cortex of the microbat.
Material And Methods:
The study was conducted on 12 freshly-caught adult bats (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum, both sexes, weighing 15-20 g). We used standard immunocytochemistry and confocal microscopy.
Results:
TH-IR fibers were distributed throughout all layers of the visual cortex, with the highest density in layer I. Two types of TH-IR fibers were observed: small and large varicose fibers. TH-IR cells were not found in the microbat visual cortex. The microbat substantia nigra and ventral tegmental areas, previously identified sources of TH-IR fibers in the mammalian visual cortex, all contained strongly labeled TH-IR cells. The average diameters of TH-IR cells in the substantia nigra and the ventral tegmental areas were 14.39 ± 0.13 μm (mean ± SEM) and 11.85 ± 0.13 μm, respectively.
Conclusions:
Our results suggest that the microbat has a well-constructed neurochemical organization of THIR fibers. This observation should provide fundamental insights into a better understanding of the nocturnal, echolocating bat visual system.
