Nicotine receptors are located on lateral geniculate nucleus terminals in cat visual cortex.

Using the methods of in vitro receptor autoradiography, we have characterized a population of receptors for nicotine in cat visual cortex that is concentrated primarily in layer IV of areas 17 and 18. Surgically undercutting the visual cortex essentially abolished [3H]nicotine binding in the isolated zone. However, neuron-specific, quinolinic acid lesions of a region of visual cortex had little effect on binding, establishing a presynaptic locus on cortical inputs for these sites. Lesions of the lateral geniculate nucleus abolished binding in the corresponding cortical areas, thus localizing the [3H]nicotine binding sites to lateral geniculate nucleus terminals in the cortex.