title: Postnatal development of synaptic inputs to rat masseter motoneurons.
abstract: We examined postnatal changes in rat masseter motoneuron morphology and the density of synaptic inputs to masseter motoneurons using retrograde labeling combined with synaptophysin immunohistochemistry. The cross-sectional area and perimeter of masseter motoneurons increased through P21 whereas synaptic input density increased throughout the time frame sampled. Data suggest that changes in masseter motoneuron morphology and the density of its synaptic input contribute to the maturation of mastication behavior.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, 1-8, Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871 Japan.
authors.forename: Shiho
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Honma
authors.forename: Vidya
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Varathan
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wakisaka
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008247:Lysosomes / Q000378:metabolism; D008406:Masseter Muscle / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000294:innervation*; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D015335:Molecular Probes; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D017729:Presynaptic Terminals / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D016708:Synaptophysin / Q000378:metabolism; D018998:Wheat Germ Agglutinin-Horseradish Peroxidase Conjugate
chemical_list: D015335:Molecular Probes; D016708:Synaptophysin; D018998:Wheat Germ Agglutinin-Horseradish Peroxidase Conjugate