Overlap between acetylcholinesterase-rich and choline acetyltransferase-positive (cholinergic) axons in human cerebral cortex.
The distribution of acetylcholinesterase-rich axons was compared to that of choline acetyltransferase-positive (cholinergic) axons in 28 major cytoarchitectonic divisions of the adult human cerebral cortex. Acetylcholinesterase-rich as well as choline acetyltransferase-positive cortical axons contained multiple varicosities. Each type of axon was more densely distributed in limbic-paralimbic regions of the brain. In all the cortical areas that were examined, the two markers displayed laminar and regional distribution patterns that were indistinguishable from each other. A method that allowed the concurrent visualization of both reaction products demonstrated that acetylcholinesterase and choline acetyltransferase were colocalized in the same axon. These observations show that there is probably a complete correspondence between choline acetyltransferase-positive and acetylcholinesterase-rich axons and that the acetylcholinesterase reaction can be used as a specific marker for cortical cholinergic axons in the adult human brain.
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Bullard and Denny-Brown Laboratories, Harvard Neurology Department, Beth Israel Hospital, Boston, MA 02215.
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D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000502:physiology*; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000032:analysis*; D000328:Adult; D001369:Axons / Q000201:enzymology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000737:chemistry; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000201:enzymology; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000201:enzymology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000201:enzymology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013003:Somatosensory Cortex / Q000201:enzymology; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000201:enzymology
D015415:Biomarkers; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase; D000109:Acetylcholine