Morphology and neurochemistry of two striatal neuronal subtypes expressing the GABA(A) receptor alpha3-subunit in the rat.
The morphological characteristics, distribution and neurochemical phenotype of striatal neuronal subtypes expressing the GABA(A) receptor alpha3-subunit were investigated using immunocytochemical and immunofluorescent techniques with an antibody specific for this subunit. alpha3-immunopositive neurons were infrequent in the rat striatum, but two morphologically different subtypes were observed: Cholinergic neurons, and a second cellular type that may correspond to neurogliaform neurons, although it may also be a novel subtype of striatal interneuron. To identify the second cellular subtype, co-localization of the GABA(A) receptor alpha3-subunit with markers of different classes of striatal interneurons was studied using specific antibodies. It was found that there was a lack of co-localization between all interneuronal markers used in this study and the alpha3-subunit. Although the alpha3-subunit immunopositive neurons represent a small percentage of the total of striatal neuronal populations, they may play an important role in the regulation of the microcircuitry of the striatum.
Rodríguez-Pallares
J
J
Department of Morphological Sciences, University of Santiago de Compostela, 15705 Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain. cmjann@uscmail.usc.es
Labandeira-García
J L
JL
Muñoz
A
A
Caruncho
H J
HJ
D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D051937:Dopamine and cAMP-Regulated Phosphoprotein 32; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007395:Interneurons / Q000378:metabolism; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A / Q000378:metabolism*; D014018:Tissue Distribution
D015415:Biomarkers; D051937:Dopamine and cAMP-Regulated Phosphoprotein 32; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase