title: Immunolocalization of the mGluR1b splice variant of the metabotropic glutamate receptor 1 at parallel fiber-Purkinje cell synapses in the rat cerebellar cortex.
abstract: Several metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) subtypes have been identified in the cerebellar cortex that are targeted to different compartments in cerebellar cells. In this study, preembedding immunocytochemical methods for electron microscopy were used to investigate the subcellular distribution of the mGluR1b splice variant in the rat cerebellar cortex. Dendritic spines of Purkinje cells receiving parallel fiber synaptic terminals were immunoreactive for mGluR1b. With a preembedding immunogold method, approximately 25% of the mGluR1b immunolabeling was observed perisynaptically within 60 nm from the edge of the postsynaptic densities. Values of extrasynaptic gold particles beyond the first 60 nm were maintained at between 10 and 18% along the whole intracellular surface of the dendritic spine membranes of Purkinje cells. For comparison, the distribution of mGluR1a was studied. A predominant (approximately 37%) perisynaptic localization of mGluR1a was seen in dendritic spines of Purkinje cells, dropping the extrasynaptic labeling to 15% in the 60-120-nm bin from the edge of the postsynaptic specialization. Our results reveal that mGluR1b and mGluR1a are localized to the same subcellular compartments in Purkinje cells but that the densities of the perisynaptic and extrasynaptic pools were different for both isoforms. The compartmentalization of mGluR1b and mGluR1a might serve distinct requirements in cerebellar neurotransmission.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Basque Country University, Bilbao, Spain.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Mateos
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Benítez
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Elezgarai
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Azkue
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lázaro
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Osorio
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bilbao
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Doñate
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sarría
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Conquet
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ferraguti
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kuhn
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Knöpfel
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Grandes
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002525:Cerebellar Cortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004274:DNA, Recombinant; D014644:Genetic Variation; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000502:physiology*; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000235:genetics; D011689:Purkinje Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D018094:Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate / Q000235:genetics*; D013569:Synapses / Q000378:metabolism*; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D004274:DNA, Recombinant; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D018094:Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate; C104077:metabotropic glutamate receptor type 1