Lateral hypothalamic acetylcholinesterase-immunoreactive neurons co-express either orexin or melanin concentrating hormone.
The lateral hypothalamic area (LHA) contains a large population of neurons that express the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE), but are not themselves cholinergic. Some of these neurons have been shown to contain melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH), a neuropeptide implicated in regulating feeding, but the identities of the remaining neurons are unknown. We now report that nearly all AChE-immunoreactive neurons in the LHA express immunoreactivity for either MCH or for orexin, a peptide implicated in regulating wakefulness. Furthermore, most orexin neurons and MCH neurons appear to contain AChE. AChE immunoreactivity appears to be a key feature of nearly all of the diffusely-projecting cortical systems.
Department of Neurology and Program in Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
Thomas C
TC
Chou
Stephen R
SR
Rotman
Clifford B
CB
Saper
D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D002452:Cell Count / Q000379:methods; D007026:Hypothalamic Area, Lateral / Q000166:cytology*; D007028:Hypothalamic Hormones / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008543:Melanins / Q000378:metabolism*; D009474:Neurons / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D000068797:Orexins; D010907:Pituitary Hormones / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D007028:Hypothalamic Hormones; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008543:Melanins; D009479:Neuropeptides; D000068797:Orexins; D010907:Pituitary Hormones; C019463:melanin-concentrating hormone; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase