Summary
The tonotopic organization of the cochlear nucleus (CN) of the mustache bat, Pteronotus parnellii was studied by injecting horseradish peroxidase (HRP) in physiologically characterized CN-sites known to respond to a certain frequency. The tracer was transported by the branched fibers of the auditory nerve and bands of labeled terminals were found in each of the CN-subdivisions. Low to high frequencies are orderly represented in rostrocaudal direction in the anteroventral CN (AV) and in ventrodorsal direction in the posteroventral (PV) and dorsal CN (DCN). In all 3 subnuclei a vast overpresentation of the frequency band between 54–66 kHz, which includes the dominant second harmonic of the echolocation calls, is superimposed on this basic mammalian pattern of frequency representation. A deviation from the standard mammalian scheme of tonotopic arrangement is found in the cytoarchitecturally distinct ‘marginal cell group’ (MA). This cell group extends in rostrocaudal direction along the medial margin of the AV, and the frequency representation in its most rostral 2 thirds is biased towards the low frequency range of the faint first harmonic of the echolocation call (24–32 kHz). Consequently the low frequencies lie adjacent to the regular slab organization of the range of higher frequencies represented in the AV. The temporal response patterns of MA neurons to tone stimuli are predominantly phasic or onset-types, in contrast to the ‘primary like’ response type which prevails in the AV. The frequency representation and the physiological characteristics of the MA group can be relevant in the context of target range determination by echolocation.
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Abbreviations
- AV :
-
anteroventral cochlear nucleus
- AV a :
-
anterior part of AV
- AV p :
-
posterior part of AV
- BF :
-
best frequency
- CF :
-
constant frequency component of echolocation calls
- CN :
-
cochlear nucleus
- DAB :
-
diaminobenzidine
- DCN :
-
dorsal cochlear nucleus
- EP :
-
evoked potential
- FM :
-
frequency modulated component of echolocation calls
- HRP :
-
horseradish peroxidase
- LSO :
-
lateral superior olive
- IC :
-
inferior colliculus
- MA :
-
marginal cell group
- MAl :
-
lateral part of MA
- MAm :
-
medial part of MA
- OAE :
-
otoacoustic emission
- PV :
-
posteroventral cochlear nucleus
- PVl :
-
lateral part of PV
- PV m :
-
medial part of PV
- PV c :
-
caudal part of PV (octopus cell region)
- RF :
-
resting frequency
- SEOAE :
-
synchronous evoked OAE
- TMB :
-
tetramethylbenzidine
- VIII :
-
eight nerve
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Kössl, M., Vater, M. Tonotopic organization of the cochlear nucleus of the mustache bat, Pteronotus parnellii . J Comp Physiol A 166, 695–709 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00240019
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00240019