title: Structure of the synaptic junctions in the rat sensorimotor cortex: freeze-etching study of neuronal gap junctions.
abstract: The membrane structure of neuronal gap junctions in the rat sensorimotor cortex was examined using freeze-etched replicas. The gap junction coupling was found between large, probably non-pyramidal neurons and dendrites, and was mostly associated with membrane specializations indicative of the contact zone of an asymmetric synapse or a puncta adhaerentia. The validity of freeze-etching method of identification and analysis of neuronal gap junctions as a feature of the synaptic organization in the rat sensorimotor cortex is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Histology, Medical University, Sofia, Bulgaria.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bozhilova-Pastirova
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ovtscharoff
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005613:Freeze Etching; D017950:Ganglia, Sensory / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D017629:Gap Junctions / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D009474:Neurons / Q000648:ultrastructure; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar