Neurotransmitter receptors across layers of the macaque lateral geniculate nucleus (v1)

Neurotransmitter receptors are key mediators of signal transduction, and the extent to which they modulate neural activity depends on their expression levels on the neuronal membrane. Receptors for classical neurotransmitters are heterogeneously distributed across the macaque monkey brain. While their regional and laminar distribution patterns within the cortical grey matter have been extensively studied, comparatively little is known about the receptor architecture of subcortical nuclei. In the present study, we used in vitro receptor autoradiography to quantify the densities of 15 receptors for 6 classical neurotransmitters across the layers of the macaque monkey lateral geniculate nucleus, a thalamic structure that plays a central role in relaying signals from retinal ganglion cells to the visual cortex in the primate visual system. We report the mean receptor densities and corresponding standard deviations for all 15 receptors in the magnocellular, parvocellular, and koniocellular layers, expressed in fmol/mg protein and averaged across three adult male Macaca fascicularis specimens, as well as the mean values and standard deviations for the medial and lateral subdivisions of the magnocellular and parvocellular compartments. This dataset constitutes a valuable resource for future simulation and modelling studies and enhances our understanding of the neural substrate supporting early visual functions in the primate brain.