Immunohistochemical evidence for coexistence of glycine and GABA in nerve terminals on cat spinal motoneurones: an ultrastructural study.
Previous electrophysiological and pharmacological studies have suggested the involvement of both glycine and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) as transmitters in the reflex pathway mediating recurrent inhibition of cat spinal motoneurones. By use of the postembedding immunogold technique and antibodies against glutaraldehyde-conjugated amino acids it is shown that glycine- and GABA-immunoreactive nerve terminals occur in contact with cell bodies of alpha motoneurone size, as well as in the surrounding neuropil in the motor nuclei of the cat spinal cord. A substantial proportion of these terminals harbours both glycine- and GABA-LI. The enrichment of immunolabelling over synaptic vesicles in such terminals strongly suggests that both of these amino acids are used as transmitter substances.
Ornung
G
G
Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
Shupliakov
O
O
Ottersen
O P
OP
Storm-Mathisen
J
J
Cullheim
S
S
D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats; D005998:Glycine / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009411:Nerve Endings / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013572:Synaptic Vesicles / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000378:metabolism*
D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D005998:Glycine