Abstract
The primary somatosensory cortex of the platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) is characterized by a distinct array of functionally specific cytochrome oxidase (CO) modules, forming alternate CO-rich and CO-poor bands. In the current study, we undertook to establish whether the cellular morphology of layer V pyramidal neurones reflects this modular organization. To this end, we injected neurones with Lucifer Yellow in 250 μm thick, flat-mounted cortical slices and processed the tissue to reveal a light-stable reaction product. By aligning blood vessels in serial sections in which we injected individual neurones with sections processed for CO, we were able to establish the exact location of injected cells with respect to the pattern of CO bands. Pyramidal neurones in the CO-poor bands (which are responsive to both mechano- and electroreceptive stimuli) had basal dendritic fields that were larger than those in the CO-rich bands. The large basal dendritic fields of layer V pyramidal neurones in the CO-poor bands may allow for integration of a greater number of more diverse inputs, thus allowing for averaging of stimuli to improve the signal-to-noise ratio or enhance spatial discrimination of peripheral stimuli. In some instances, neurones located within approximately 100 μm of the boundaries of the CO bands had dendritic fields that appeared to conform to the CO bands, the dendrites preferentially arborizing within a single band and avoiding the neighbouring band. However, the bias was not absolute, as we observed many examples of cells with dendrites that crossed the boundary between bands. Furthermore, many cells had dendrites that showed distinct dendritic bias that bore no obvious relationship to the CO boundaries.
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