title: Ecto-ATPase activity in cerebellum: implication to the function of synaptic transmission.
abstract: The involvement of ATP in synaptic transmission was examined in synapses on granule cells of the rat cerebellum using ecto-ATPase activity. Reaction product was found in a majority but not all synapses between axodendritic, axoaxonic, and dendrodendritic appositions of granule cells and was associated with extracellular surface of both pre- and postsynaptic membranes. Specificity of the detection was justified by using diethyl pyrocarbonate, specific inhibitor of ecto-ATPase activity. These observations provide direct morphological evidence in support of the view that ATP participates in synaptic transmission and indicate functional heterogeneity of synapses in cerebellum.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Kochi Medical School, Japan. zinchuk@kochi-ms.ac.jp
authors.forename: V S
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Zinchuk
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okada
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Seguchi
mesh_terms: D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology*; D005110:Extracellular Space / Q000201:enzymology; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009474:Neurons / Q000201:enzymology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D013569:Synapses / Q000201:enzymology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology*