Fig. 1.

Structure of the TRN slice and its neurons.A, Low-power IR-DIC image of the thalamic region of a living slice. Str, Striatum; IC, internal capsule. B, Higher-power view of a pair of TRN cells with adjoining somata (left). This pair was not electrically coupled. The right shows a pair of TRN cells with nonadjoining somata. These cells were strongly coupled (coupling coefficient of 0.1). Thus, the somata of cell pairs need not touch to be electrically coupled, and many pairs that do have adjacent somata are not coupled. C, Reconstruction of a neurobiotin-filled TRN neuron. Three major axonal branches leave the nucleus.