The distribution of serotonin in the brain of Apteronotus leptorhynchus: an immunohistochemical study.

The immunohistochemical distribution of serotonin (5-HT) cells, fiber tracts and terminal fields was mapped in the brain of the gymnotiform electric fish. Two major types of 5-HT cells were found: the small paraventricular organ (PVO) cells of the diencephalon, and the large raphe cells of the brain stem. Six diencephalic nuclei were identified: the nucleus preopticus periventricularis, anterior division, nucleus posterioris periventricularis, nucleus recessus lateralis medial subdivisions 1, 2 and 3, and nucleus recessus posterioris. In the brainstem, raphe centralis, between the arms of the medial longitudinal fasciculus (MLF), the raphe medialis, lateral to MLF, and the diffuse raphe posterioris, were described. Five 5-HT fiber tracts were identified. The tract rising from PVOs projected rostrally through the medial forebrain bundle (MFB). The central tegmental bundle arising from the raphe centralis-medialis complex projected rostrally and also joined the MFB. The lateral tegmental tract, the ventrolateral and the subtrigeminal tracts arose from brain stem raphe groups and innervated the brainstem nuclei. The densest 5-HT innervation occurred in the hypothalamus in the neuropil of the PVOs and in the brainstem in the interpeduncular nucleus, cranial nerve nuclei V motor, V tractus spinalis, VII, X sensory and lateral inferior olive. Electrosensory nuclei including the electrosensory lateral line lobe, the nucleus praeminentialis, dorsal torus semicircularis, optic tectum, nucleus electrosensorius and prepacemaker nucleus received light to medium 5-HT innervation. Serotonergic terminal fields appeared to be conserved across phyla with additional innervation evident in specialized sensory regions such as the electrosensory nuclei of gymnotiform and mormyriform fish.