An analysis of the morphology and cytology of HRP labeled Purkinje cells.
Purkinje (Pk) cells in the cat cerebellum were intracellularly labeled with horseradish peroxidase (HRP). Both light and electron microscopy were used to determine (1) the degree to which the morphological detail of a neuron is revealed and (2) whether HRP labeled neurons maintain normal morphological and cytological characteristics. The morphological detail obtained with intracellular labeling was comparable to that found in Golgi impregnated material. The reaction product was found in the soma, dendrites, dendritic spines and in the axon including the fine axonal collaterals. Neurons which appeared normal under the light microscope were analyzed with the electron microscope. The ultrastructural characteristics of these Pk cells were similar to those observed in previous transmission electron microscopic studies. In many cases, however, there were obvious alterations in the morphology of the somata, dendrites and axonal collaterals of the injected neurons. These alterations included beading or clumping of the secondary and tertiary dendrites, an absence of labeled spins and axonal collaterals, and distortions of the soma membrane. Post injection survival time injection charge and amplitude of the climbing fiber response recorded pre-injection were analyzed in order to determine if they could be correlated with the morphological integrity of the neuron. Our data did not reveal an association between these and the morphological condition of the Pk cell. Possible reasons for this lack of association are discussed.
D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002415:Cats; D003712:Dendrites / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005071:Evoked Potentials; D006735:Horseradish Peroxidase; D008297:Male; D009847:Olivary Nucleus / Q000502:physiology; D011689:Purkinje Cells / Q000166:cytology*
D006735:Horseradish Peroxidase