Thalamocortical pathways from the rodent ventral posterior (VP) thalamic complex to the somatosensory cerebral cortex areas are a key model in modern neuroscience. However, beyond the intensively studied projection from medial VP (VPM) to the primary somatosensory area (S1), the wiring of these pathways remains poorly characterized. We combined micropopulation tract-tracing and single-cell transfection experiments to map the pathways arising from different portions of the VP complex in male mice. We found that pathways originating from different VP regions show differences in area/lamina arborization pattern and axonal varicosity size. Neurons from the rostral VPM subnucleus innervate trigeminal S1 in point-to-point fashion. In contrast, a caudal VPM subnucleus innervates heavily and topographically second somatosensory area (S2), but not S1. Neurons in a third, intermediate VPM subnucleus innervate through branched axons both S1 and S2, with markedly different laminar patterns in each area. A small anterodorsal subnucleus selectively innervates dysgranular S1. The parvicellular VPM subnucleus selectively targets the insular cortex and adjacent portions of S1 and S2. Neurons in the rostral part of the lateral VP nucleus (VPL) innervate spinal S1, while caudal VPL neurons simultaneously target S1 and S2. Rostral and caudal VP nuclei show complementary patterns of calcium-binding protein expression. In addition to the cortex, neurons in caudal VP subnuclei target the sensorimotor striatum. Our finding of a massive projection from VP to S2 separate from the VP projections to S1 adds critical anatomical evidence to the notion that different somatosensory submodalities are processed in parallel in S1 and S2.

From the microwave to the food processor, the book author and television personality tried many appliances and devices to figure out the best ways to use them for her audience

A new book reveals striking images from six decades of the beloved Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition

A Smithsonian curator reflects back on the artistic legend, a "Renaissance man" with 28 Grammys to his name, who died Sunday at 91 years old

Representatives of all countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have gathered here this week to agree on the actions needed to definitively eradicate hunger in the region before 2025. [...]

Family farming is inextricably linked to national and global food security. Both in developing and developed countries, family farming is the leading form of agriculture in food production. Family farmers [...]

The Director-General opened the session this morning noting that FAO is on the right track, and that its sharpened focus needs to translate to concrete benefits at [...]

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Prince Laurent of Belgium was today appointed FAO Special Ambassador for Forests and the Environment.

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5 December 2014, Rome – At the closure of the FAO Council held today, the [...]

Berlin- FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva has highlighted some of the most important events on the organization’s 2015 calendar during meetings with agriculture ministers who attended the Global Forum [...]

Rome - José Graziano da Silva, the [...]

Scala Mercalli hosted by Italian environmentalist Luca Mercalli begins filming in the Sheikh Zayed Centre in FAO this week! 

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Learn about the role of bees and beekeepers in improving food and nutrition security. Bee engaged!

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In this episode, FAO urges immediate access to Gaza; the UN Climate Summit ; the fourth annual World Food Forum 

Your feedback on the First Continental Congress, Douglas MacArthur and England's tangled history

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With millions of men serving in WWII, the nation needed pilots to ferry planes from the factory to the air bases. That’s when Jackie Cochran proposed a novel idea: why not let women fly?

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Coffee - it's a staple of American life, and inside the vaults of the National Museum of American History, they know the secret to its wide spread success: packaging

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Director of the African American History and Culture Museum Lonnie Bunch looks at the forces that brought about the January 1, 1863 order.