Primary afferent fibers establish dye-coupled connections in the frog central nervous system.
Neurobiotin and Lucifer yellow, indicators of gap junctional coupling, were applied to primary afferent fibers of the frog. Following application of tracers to cervical or lumbar dorsal root fibers, a large number of labeled granule cells were detected in the corpus cerebelli, the brainstem, and the spinal cord. The vestibular nerve was found to be in dye-coupled connection with the granule cells of the auricular lobe of the cerebellum. After application of the tracers to the trigeminal nerve, elicited dye-coupled neurons located mainly in the termination area of the descending limb of the mesencephalic trigeminal nucleus. In control experiments with biotinylated dextrane amine, only primary afferent fibers were labeled. Our results suggest that gap junctional coupling exists between primary afferent fibers and their postsynaptic targets in the frog.
Bácskai
Timea
T
Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, University of Debrecen, Medical and Health Science Center, Debrecen, Hungary.
Matesz
Clara
C
D000344:Afferent Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001710:Biotin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000502:physiology*; D003911:Dextrans; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D017629:Gap Junctions / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006034:Glycyrrhetinic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D007546:Isoquinolines; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000502:physiology*; D011893:Rana esculenta / Q000502:physiology*
D003911:Dextrans; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D007546:Isoquinolines; C076397:biotinylated dextran amine; C070614:neurobiotin; D001710:Biotin; C017475:lucifer yellow; D006034:Glycyrrhetinic Acid