GABAergic inhibition in the rat pontine nuclei is exclusively extrinsic: evidence from an in situ hybridization study for GAD67 mRNA.
As clearly indicated by our electrophysiological work, GABAergic inhibition plays a powerful role in the pontine nuclei (PN), the major link between cerebral cortex and the cerebellum. Using the technique of in situ hybridization for the mRNA encoding for the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-synthesizing isoenzyme glutamic acid decarboxylase67 (GAD67), we demonstrate here the total absence of potentially GABAergic neurons from the rat PN. This negative finding supports the notion that GABAergic inhibition in the PN of rats, unlike that of higher mammals, is exclusively based on extrapontine GABAergic afferents.
Möck
M
M
Sektion für Visuelle Sensomotorik, Neurologische Universitätsklinik Tübingen, Germany. martinmoeck@uni-tuebingen.de
Schwarz
C
C
Wahle
P
P
Thier
P
P
D000818:Animals; D005968:Glutamate Decarboxylase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000235:genetics*; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000502:physiology*; D011149:Pons / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000502:physiology*
D007527:Isoenzymes; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D005968:Glutamate Decarboxylase