The song pathway in culture

see Holloway & Clayton, Nature Neuroscience (2001)

Above: Fibers from HVC to RA in cultured adult male zebra finch slices
Confocal microscopic image of nucleus RA, visualized by diI labeling of fibers from HVC, in slices of adult male zebra finch brain after 6 weeks in culture. Labeled fiber bundles enter from upper left, and ramify within RA (visible as oval area of diffuse bright fluorescence in left panel). Right panel shows higher magnification of ramifying fibers within RA. A DiI crystal was placed on HVC at the initiation of the cultures.

Right: ingrowth in vitro (serial images)
A single juvenile male slice, established at 25 days of age with diI label upon HVC, is imaged after 1, 2 & 3 weeks in culture. The fields shown are centered on the boundary of RA (indicated); dorsal is left.

Above: Fibers from HVC to RA develop during long-term culture of 25 day-old zebra finch brain slices
Fiber terminals in nucleus RA of 25 day-old juvenile zebra finch brain slices (A) before, and (B) after 3 weeks in culture; visualized by Neurofilament immunoreactivity.

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