title: Neostriatal cholinergic neurons receive direct synaptic inputs from dopaminergic axons.
abstract: We used an electron microscopic 'mirror technique' to determine whether cholinergic neurons are in direct synaptic contact with dopaminergic axons in the rat neostriatum. Tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive axons make synaptic contacts with the somata and proximal dendrites of large choline acetyltransferase-immunoreactive striatal neurons which are thought to be interneurons. This provides morphological evidence that nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons can influence monosynaptically the striatal cholinergic neurons.
mesh_terms: D000320:Adrenergic Fibers; D000818:Animals; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism; D002799:Cholinergic Fibers; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000201:enzymology; D004298:Dopamine / Q000502:physiology*; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007395:Interneurons / Q000201:enzymology; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase; D004298:Dopamine