[Retinal projections in Caiman sclerops. Autoradiographic study].

The retinal projections in Caiman sclerops have been re-examined using the radio-autographic method for tracing axonal pathways. Following the intraocular injection of a mixture of [3H]proline and [3H]fucose, label transported in the rapid phase of axonal flow was found only on controlateral side to the injection in the nuceli, supra-opticus, ovalis, geniculatus lateralis pars dorsalis and pars ventralis, geniculatus pretectalis, lentiformis mesencephali, griseus tectalis, opticus tegmenti and in the superficial layers of the tectum opticum (layers 1 to 6). Label transported in the slow phase confirms the absence of an ipsilateral optic component. No controlateral retinofugal fasicule crossing over in the posterior commissure as previously described in this species using the Nauta method (3) was observed. In comparison with degeneration study in Caiman sclerops (3) the radio-autographic results demonstrated more accurately the sites of termination of retinofugal fibers.