Developmental changes in the transmitter properties of sympathetic neurons that innervate the periosteum.
During the development of sweat gland innervation, interactions with the target tissue induce a change from noradrenergic to cholinergic and peptidergic properties. To determine whether the change in neurotransmitter properties that occurs in the sweat gland innervation occurs more generally in sympathetic neurons, we identified a new target of cholinergic sympathetic neurons in rat, the periosteum, which is the connective tissue covering of bone, and characterized the development of periosteal innervation of the sternum. During development, sympathetic axons grow from thoracic sympathetic ganglia along rib periosteum to reach the sternum. All sympathetic axons displayed catecholaminergic properties when they reached the sternum, but these properties subsequently disappeared. Many axons lacked detectable immunoreactivities for vesicular acetylcholine transporter and vasoactive intestinal peptide when they reached the sternum and acquired them after arrival. To determine whether periosteum could direct changes in the neurotransmitter properties of sympathetic neurons that innervate it, we transplanted periosteum to the hairy skin, a noradrenergic sympathetic target. We found that the sympathetic innervation of the transplant underwent a noradrenergic to cholinergic and peptidergic change. These results suggest that periosteum, in addition to sweat glands, regulates the neurotransmitter properties of the sympathetic neurons that innervate it.
Asmus
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National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA.
Parsons
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Landis
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D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001369:Axons / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D016025:Bone Transplantation / Q000502:physiology*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000032:analysis; D005728:Ganglia, Sympathetic / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D016627:Oxidopamine; D010521:Periosteum / Q000254:growth & development / Q000294:innervation* / Q000637:transplantation; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013249:Sternum / Q000254:growth & development / Q000294:innervation*; D013563:Sympathectomy, Chemical; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide / Q000032:analysis; D050494:Vesicular Acetylcholine Transport Proteins; D033921:Vesicular Transport Proteins
D002352:Carrier Proteins; D002395:Catecholamines; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; C493461:Slc18a3 protein, rat; D050494:Vesicular Acetylcholine Transport Proteins; D033921:Vesicular Transport Proteins; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide; D016627:Oxidopamine