Patterned organization in auditory pathway occurs before hearing onset

What is it about?

This article describes the organization of patterned cellular projections that defines distinct synaptic domains within the inferior colliculus (IC), a brain structure primarily involved in hearing. In this study, a developmental series of chemically-fixed kitten tissue was imaged after injection with chemical tracers (lipophilic carbocyanine dyes) and patterned projections were quantitatively analyzed using a newly described protocol.

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Why is it important?

Although such patterned cellular projections have been described in adults, little is known about their organization prior to hearing onset. We show that by birth, the projections exhibit a characteristic banded arrangement like adults. This indicates initial establishment of this highly organized pattern occurs largely without auditory experience. Our results serve as a basis for next defining the network of functional compartments responsible for processing midbrain auditory tasks in adults.