Neurocalcin-immunopositive nerve terminals in the muscle spindle, Golgi tendon organ and motor endplate.
The present study revealed the immunohistochemical distribution of neurocalcin, a three EF-hand calcium-binding protein, in the rat muscles and tendons. In the muscle spindles, annulospiral endings, which made spirals around the intrafusal muscles, showed intense neurocalcin-immunoreactivity. In the Golgi tendon organs, immunopositive thick nerve fibers entered the collagenous fibers resulting in the projection of many swelling terminals. In all examined muscles, nerve terminals in the motor endplates showed neurocalcin-immunoreactivity associated with the membranes of synaptic vesicles and mitochondria. These findings suggest that neurocalcin is distributed and regulates calcium signaling in both afferent and efferent nerve terminals in the muscles and tendons.
Department of Anatomy, Nagoya University School of Medicine, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan. iinosa@tsuru.med.nagoya-u.ac.jp
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Iino
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Kobayashi
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Hidaka
D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008465:Mechanoreceptors / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009045:Motor Endplate / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009470:Muscle Spindles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D051596:Neurocalcin; D017729:Presynaptic Terminals / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D044169:Receptors, Calcium-Sensing
D000906:Antibodies; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D051596:Neurocalcin; D044169:Receptors, Calcium-Sensing; C496690:Vsnl1 protein, rat