Motor innervation of the bursalis muscle (nictitating membrane) in the lizard Callopistes maculatus

Abstract

The motor neurones which innervate the bursalis muscle of the lizard Callopistes maculatus were identified by means of intra-axonal retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase. These neurones were distributed in the oculomotor abducens and accessory abducens nuclei. In the oculomotor nucleus one group of neurones was located in the ventral subnucleus of the contralateral side while the other group was found in the dorsolateral subnucleus of the ipsilateral side. In the abducens and accessory abducens nuclei all the neurones were in the ipsilateral side. The accessory abducens cells, although less numerous, were larger and had a prominent dendritic field in close relationship with the nucleus descendens nervi trigemini.