Retinotectal mismatch: a serendipitous experimental result

Abstract

THERE is increasing evidence to indicate that neurones are capable of making connections with sites other than those with which they normally connect^1–5. During an experiment to test the effect on the retinotectal projection of upsetting the normal sequence of innervation of the growing optic tectum by a growing eye in Xenopus⁶, we observed, unexpectedly, a result in one animal which could shed some light on a current controversy concerning the manner in which the formation of selective synaptic connections may be controlled. Because this result was fortuitous and because it is difficult to replicate the exact experimental situation we report the result here.