The marginal nuclei of the spinal cord in turtles: neuron assemblies in which gamma-aminobutyric acid and nitric oxide synthase are colocalized.
Conspicuous nerve-cell assemblies, identified as the marginal nuclei described in other sauropsidans, were found all along the spinal cord of turtles. gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activities were colocalized within these neurons, which also reacted positively to reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-diaphorase stains. The marginal nuclei neurons may, thus, play an inhibitory function mediated by their GABA terminals and a long-distance modulatory function mediated by NO liberation.
Division of Comparative Neuroanatomy, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable and Faculty of Sciences, Motevideo, Uraguay.
A
A
Fernández
M
M
Radmilovich
O
O
Trujillo-Cenóz
D000818:Animals; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000378:metabolism*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D014426:Turtles / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000378:metabolism*
D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase